


The Evening Star's Child

by blackrose_17



Series: Alien!Ianto: Life on Aiedail [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alien!Ianto, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Backstory: Ianto Jones, Caveman!Jack, Community: mpregbigbang, F/M, M/M, Mates, Mpreg, Protective Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:44:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future Alien!Ianto Universe Story: For Jack there is nothing that means more to him than his mate, Ianto, so when they learn Ianto is pregnant his life, their life, feels complete. But when someone seeks to harm Ianto, they learn exactly far Jack is willing to go to keep Ianto and their unborn child safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Mpreg BB on lj  
> Wonderful art by vismur see it here: http://vismur.livejournal.com/49022.html  
> As always a big thank you to my wonderful beta: RoyalLadyEmma

**Chapter 1**

Five years ago Jack Harkness and his bond mate, Ianto Jones, made the difficult choice to leave behind Earth and Torchwood. After defeating his uncle with the help of his mate, teammates, friends and the last two Time Lords, Ianto knew his people needed their king and there was no longer anything tying either man to Earth or Torchwood. But they did not leave Earth for Aiedail alone; two of their teammates and closest friends had bonded with two of Ianto's knights and had decided to come with them.

Of the group, Toshiko Sato was the only one who had a hard time leaving her family behind but she knew that her mate and husband, Caden, longed to return to his home. As his wife and lifemate, she knew she could not deny him his dream.

Owen Harper, on the other hand, had nothing keeping him on Earth and therefore had no qualms about leaving. His entire family consisted of his mate, Rhys Williams, and the other members of Torchwood Three. He'd seen the way his mate's eyes would shine when he described Aiedail and he was actually looking forward to seeing Rhys' homeworld.

To Jack's horror, his ex-lover and ex-Time Agent partner, John Hart, had brazenly declared that he was tagging along on the journey seeing as Ianto's other knight, Kathy Swanson, was his lover and mate. Even though he was a very taken man, John persisted in flirting endlessly with Ianto Jack's frustrated distress and Kathy's fond exasperation.

Jack and Ianto had readily agreed that there was no way that they could leave their beloved Myfanwy behind; their prehistoric match-maker was a big part of their relationship. Myfanwy thoroughly enjoyed the vast expanses of free skies though which she soared majestically, and the young children adored her and she adored them in return. Jack and the others were convinced after Ianto, Myfanwy was the most beloved of their group.

The final member of their party wasn't all that surprising to those who knew her and Jack had always thought Estelle belonged out amongst the stars. He was overjoyed that she had finally found a piece of the happiness she had been so cruelly denied in her youth when she met and fell in love with one of Aiedail's elders and Ianto's super-scary godmother, Althea.

Even though they were leaving, Jack and Ianto knew they could not leave Earth without her defenders and so they gathered some of the Doctor's former Companions to take their place. Mickey Smith and his boyfriend, Jake Simmonds, Doctor Martha Jones and Donna Noble, as well as Andy Davidson and Tish Jones, were brought in to run Cardiff's new Torchwood Three.

For the first time in a very long time Jack was happy, truly and undeniably happy. He'd been waiting so long for _his_ Doctor to show up that he'd simply forgotten how to live but that all changed the moment he met Ianto Jones. The quiet young Welshman had found his way into Jack's heart and through the purity of his love, he had become Jack's home, his entire world. Without Ianto, the immortal would have remained nothing more than an empty husk of a man, which is why Jack knew he would always go wherever Ianto went.

******

As Aiedail's the blue sun slowly began to rise slowly in the early dawn bringing soft light to the purple night sky, the gentle morning breeze carried on its wind the scent of dew drops and moon flowers and it slowly made its way through the open window of the King's chambers.

Jack grinned lazily as the scent reached him and he snuggled closer to the delicious warmth that came from the shared body heat that had built overnight. His grin grew into a tender smile as he studied Ianto's face; in sleep, his mate looked more innocent and far younger than he did during the day. Gently brushing back the hair that had fallen into Ianto's eyes during the night, Jack couldn't refrain from brushing the lightest of kisses across his husband's forehead.

As always, an intense feeling of _belonging_ surged through Jack when he realized that Ianto Harkness-Jones was his, now and forever.  As King of Aiedail, Ianto could have had anyone he wanted as a consort and yet he'd chosen to love a former rogue Time Agent and conman. Knowing that Ianto had looked beyond his past and into his soul, Jack's heart was filled with an undeniable warmth.

Ianto shifted slightly in his sleep as he sought the heat that came from Jack's body and a contented sigh escaped his parted lips as he nuzzled Jack's neck. Jack's heart soared with love as Ianto murmured, "Jack," the word a puff of warm air against his skin.

Jack curled his body against Ianto's just enjoying the peace and quiet of the early hour; there was nothing demanding Ianto's attention for once and Jack planned on making full use of this precious down time.

Tracing his fingertips along the smooth skin of Ianto's stomach Jack created a trail of kisses along the back of Ianto's neck. He was torn between wanting his mate to get some much needed sleep or putting their huge bed to work and making slow sweet love to his mate all morning long.

It was the lust and love humming along their bond that slowly brought Ianto out of the land of sleep and back into the land of awake. "Mmm... good morning, Jack." Ianto's voice was rich with sleep as he slowly opened up his blue eyes.

Upon seeing Ianto's beautiful lips part, Jack wasted no time in claiming that talented mouth in a deep kiss filled with all the love and lust he held for his mate.

Ianto curled his arms around Jack's back and kissed him back just as deeply, moaning a little as Jack rolled on top of him and pressed Ianto's body deeper into the mattress as Jack's hands began to wander.

It had been far too long since they'd indulged in some much needed pleasures of the flesh.

"Jack!" Ianto keened lowly as his husband's mouth began to work over a spot on his neck, but he didn't stop him. Ianto knew that Jack liked marking him and making sure everyone remembered that Ianto was Jack's and Jack's alone.

"Mine!" Jack growled as he worked over the fresh mark he had left on Ianto's neck.

"Yes, Jack, I'm yours," Ianto moaned as his need to have his husband claim him grew stronger.

Growling Jack shifted so he could straddle Ianto's hips and he grinned deviously down at his mate. "I'm going to make sure that everyone knows who you belong to." Jack wasn't sure why he had this overwhelming need to lay claim to Ianto but he wasn't about to fight it.

Something in Ianto yearned for Jack to do as he promised; he needed to wear Jack's marks on his neck, he wanted his mate to reaffirm that he belonged to him and him alone. Ianto needed Jack and he wasn't afraid to beg. A tiny whimper of need tore itself free from Ianto's mouth and that was all it took for Jack to react.

As Jack claimed his mouth in a possessive kiss Ianto couldn't help but feel like this need to be claimed by his mate was something important but the wicked things Jack was doing with his mouth robbed Ianto of all thought.

*****  
  
Master Healer and one of the elders, Althea, hummed as she slowly ground ingredients together in her mortar. It was a relaxing ritual and she enjoyed taking her time doing it; it gave her an opportunity to clear her mind and contemplate the world around her. Althea was brought out of her quiet reverie when her bond with her mate began to hum and Estelle came into the healer's room.

"Althea, what are you doing?" Estelle peered curiously into the mortar. Her mate's alchemic mysteries fascinated her, and while she knew she'd never be a talented healer like Althea, Estelle enjoyed learning at her lover's feet.

"My Prince has entered into his first heat." A gentle smile graced Althea's face as she turned to face her love.  "He and his chosen one will soon be blessed with the ultimate expression of love; at last they will fully and completely seal their bond."

Estelle raised an eyebrow as she silently mulled over her mate's words, and then a gasp escaped her lips as her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Althea nodded her head, sending her mane of silver hair flying everywhere and her amber eyes sparkled with knowledge and mischief. "That is indeed what I am saying."

Estelle couldn't help but giggle as she realised that things were about to get _very_ interesting. _'And I get a front roll seat for the fireworks!'_ And Estelle had no doubt that there would definitely be fireworks once this little secret was out.

*****  
Ianto stretched as he hummed contentedly as the hot water from the bathtub began working its magic, soothing and soaking his well-used muscles. That hum turned into a moan as his insatiable husband pulled him onto his lap and began peppering Ianto's neck with kisses. "Jack, I hate to say it but you've actually managed to wear me out," Ianto mumbled. Not since their first mating had they been so incredibly insatiable.

Growlingly from deep within his chest Jack tightened his grip on Ianto's waist. "I'm as worn out as you, but you just smell so good that it's taking all my willpower not to make love to you right here in this tub. God, Yan, all I want to do is bury myself in your tight arse and never leave!" Jack growled as he nipped tenderly at Ianto's earlobe.

Despite the soreness of their bodies neither couldn't deny the  ravenous fire that once again coursed through their bodies and the pure hunger that shone in Jack's eyes had Ianto panting in need. Turning so he could straddle his husband's lap, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and kissed him deeply pouring all his need into the kiss.

_'Thank goodness for the healing properties in Aiedail waters; as much as I want Ianto I don't want to hurt him.'_ Jack tightened his hold around Ianto's torso as they plundered one another's mouths.

Aiedail's waters did indeed contain naturally occurring minerals that would speed along the physical healing of anyone who bathed in them. As his desire for his mate grew, Jack groaned at the hedonistic idea of making love with Ianto in their giant bath tub. The private bath that was connected to their bed chambers was enormous  and the lovers considered it their own private oasis, a sanctuary where he and Ianto could escape the world around them. It was well known by all the members of the castle's staff that a closed door meant no one should disturb them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
  
"Where the bloody hell is our fearless leader and our Tea-Boy?" Owen demanded as he sulked in his chair at the massive dining room table; by rule they had to wait for their King to join them before they could eat. "I'm hungry and I need a cup of Tea-Boy's coffee," he growled under his breath; he knew he sounded like a petulant child but he just didn't care.

Rhys rolled his eyes at his mate's actions. "You could always make your own cup of coffee or try one of Delilah's; hers is almost as good as Ianto's," Rhys pointed out gently. He stroked his thumb across the back of the young man's hand as he reminded Owen of the new chef in the kitchen. She and Ianto had struck up a friendship upon meeting, and he'd taken the young Aiedailian under his wing and he was teaching her the fine art – _his_ fine art of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

"Yeah, yeah, Delilah's good," Owen grudgingly admitted, "but she's still not _Ianto_ -good, not yet. Leave it to Jack to hog Ianto all to himself!" the medic scowled as he continued to pout. He'd been completely spoiled by years of drinking Ianto's blessed liquid black gold.

"As Ianto's mate and husband, Jack does have the first and most important right to Ianto because as he likes to point out, he's only loaning Ianto to the rest of us," Tosh pointed out from her seat across the table from Owen. She smiled brightly as Caden poured her a cup of Delilah's coffee. "Thank you, love."

Caden arched an eyebrow and leered wickedly at his mate. "If you really want to thank me I'm sure we could find an empty room?" He ended his offer with a flirty wink and a gentle nudge to her shoulder.

Despite the many years they had been together Caden treasured the fact that he could still make Tosh blush and nothing made her blush faster or darker than when the royal knight talked about their sex life in front of others.

_'He's just as bad as Jack,'_ was the unanimous thought at the breakfast table. Right from the start Jack and Caden shared a mutual love for making their shy mates blush; it was a clearly a great pleasure of theirs.

"You might as well start eating," John declared as he sauntered into the dining area. "Jackie-Boy and his Eye-Candy won't be joining us if the moans Eye-Candy was making as I passed their room are any indication." The leer was obvious in his voice. _'What I wouldn't give to be in that room seeing what Jack was doing to get Eye-Candy to moan like that!'_

She didn't need to be psychic to know what John was thinking and Kathy, his long-suffering mate, rolled her eyes before smacking the back of John's head, hard. "That is my King you're talking about, so if you don't want to sleep on the couch for the long foreseeable future it would be wise to sit down and shut up." A cruel grin suddenly lit up her face; "or would you like to have Jack cut off your _little_ captain for thinking about Ianto like that!" she snarled before turning to her fellow knights." Althea believes that our King has entered his mating cycle," she announced happily. "Our elder thinks it's time!"

A low whistle escaped Caden's lips as he sat up straight in his chair his eyes sparkling. "Really? Do Ianto and Jack know about this or is that old bat keeping this a secr... OWW!" Caden clutched the back of his head after something wooden and very hard came crashing down on him. Prepared to do battle with his attacker, Caden angrily whirled around. "Who hit m... oh! Umm... Hi, Althea, how long have you been standing there?"

Althea looked less than impressed as she glowered at Caden. "Who are you calling old bat, you upstart little brat?" Althea demanded as she lifted her heavy wooden staff and shook it threateningly at Caden.

"No one! Don't hurt me!" In a move that given his opponent, many would call brave and few would call cowardly, Caden jumped out of his chair and cowered down behind Tosh. "Protect me, Tosh, from the mean lady with her hard staff!" he whimpered as he clutched at her arm.

The dining room was silent as everyone just stared at Althea as she smirked at Caden, enjoying seeing the knight hiding behind his mate. Finally, she shook her head as she faced Toshiko. "I will never understand, child, how you ended up mated to him; you are clearly far too good for him," the healer muttered under her breath as she took the seat Rhys pulled out for her. "Thank you, Rhys. See? Now here's a good man for you, Toshiko," Althea said with a teasing tone.

Both Owen and Caden bristled indignantly; even though they knew Althea was teasing they still did not like the idea of anyone, even joking that their lovers would be better off without other people. A low growl escaped Caden's lips as he came out from hiding behind Tosh and without warning tipped back her chair, bent over and kissed her deeply.

Deciding to take a play out of Caden's book, Owen threw down his napkin as he shoved back his chair, and grasping the armrests of Rhys' seat, he pulled back his mate's chair enough so he could plop himself down onto Rhys' lap. "Mine," Owen hissed out before kissing Rhys senseless.

"Orgy time!" John cried out with obvious delight as his hands flew to his shirt and began tugging it off. Suddenly, a small spark of lightning struck him in his arse and stopped his movements in mid-strip. Gulping deeply, he turned to see the anger burning brightly in his lover's eyes. "No orgy?" he asked with a pout and his lower lip quivered.

Kathy scowled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No orgy, not if you want to keep your balls attached to your person."

John continued to pout but he wasn't foolish enough to mess with his ill-tempered lover. Kathy was one of Ianto's most trusted bodyguards for a reason and that reason was she would happily fry anyone who was a threat to her King and family. That fierce warrior attitude extended to anyone who pissed her off enough, and more often than not, it was John who pushed her buttons to the limit. "Are you going to punish me?" John's childish pout was gone, and now a very adult leer graced his face.

Crackles of lightning came out of the corners of Kathy's eyes. _'Of all the beings in the Universe I had to end up with a mate worse than Harkness!'_ Not for the first time Kathy wonder what she had done wrong to deserve a fate like this. _'Ah well, the heart wants what the heart wants,'_ and she mentally shook her head.

Knowing he was on very thin ice with his mate, John climbed to his feet and John moved towards Kathy with a sexy swagger. Seductive charm oozed off him as he curled his arms around Kathy's waist and pulled his lover flush against his body. He shivered as he stared into her fire-filled eyes, the heat from them soaking into his own. _'Oh yes,'_ he thought. ' _I do so love the fire that burns within my woman's heart.'_ He loved it when his lovers were filled with fiery passion and Kathy Swanson was full of it. "Come on, you know I meant nothing by it. Why would I ever look at anyone else when I have you, my little lightning bug?" John purred as he nipped at Kathy's ear.

_'I hate it when he gets like this; it makes it so hard for me to stay mad at him.'_ Kathy tried to remain strong, but John's lips had moved to the sensitive skin behind her ear and she couldn't prevent the lust-filled shiver that ran the length of her spine as he licked her. John knew exactly how to lay on the charm to get what he wanted and to get himself out of trouble, and Kathy found that when John acted like this she was weak against him. "You're lucky I like your bits were they are," she muttered low under her breath. Just because she fell for his charm didn't mean she actually had to tell him that; _'I don't need to make his head any bigger than it already is.'_

Estelle watched everything with a knowing look in her eyes as she turned to face her own life mate. "I take it they are," she gestured to the couples who were all lost in each other, "being effected by Ianto's mating hormones?"

There was a distinctly naughty twinkle in Althea's eyes as she smiled innocently. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Estelle sighed softly; she wasn't at all surprised that she didn't get a straight answer out her mate. For all of her supposed age and wisdom Althea was like a child who liked to act mysteriously when it came to secrets. "Have you at least informed Ianto and Jack that there's a chance Ianto could get pregnant?" She already had an idea of was going to her playful mate with say.

An affronted look graced Althea's weathered but still beautiful face. "Now where would the fun be in that?" she asked. She was truly shocked that her lover, that _anyone_ thought she should inform Ianto and Jack of the nature of their insatiable attraction to one another. Suddenly, the look changed and a smirk graced her lips, "And there is no maybe about it. Our young King will be pregnant by the end of his mating cycle, it has been written in the stars and so it shall be."

******  
Jack stared down at the slumbering face of his beloved Ianto and it took all his willpower not to wake his life mate up and take him again. He had never downplayed his appetite for Ianto but this hunger was different; it was as if something primal had awakened in his soul and it would never be satisfied until it had achieved whatever it set out to do. He was broken out of his thoughts when Ianto rolled over and nuzzled Jack's chest with sleepy lips and Jack felt his body spring instantly to life. _'No! Down boy!_ ' Jack firmly told himself ; he knew he had worn Ianto out and wanted his mate to rest first, regain his stamina, _'and then I can jump him.'_

A wicked gleam entered Jack's eyes and he purred in contentment as the warmth of his lover's body soaked into his skin; he wrapped his arms around Ianto and pressed a kiss into Ianto's hair. _'I do hope Althea and the others can handle Ianto's meetings for the day because I don't plan on letting Ianto out of your bed anytime soon.'_

*****

Somehow, despite over-active hormones, everyone was able to pull themselves away from one another long enough to finish their breakfast in time for the morning council meeting. Estelle shook her head as she noticed that Althea still refused to tell anyone why Jack and Ianto wouldn't be joining them. Upon returning to his people one of the first things Ianto had done was to make sure that his new council was filled with people he knew he could trust beyond a shadow of a doubt. That rarefied group included his knights and their mates, along with those who had once faithfully served his father. They had been imprisoned without trial and brutally treated after they refused to follow the dictates of Ianto's uncle when the madman had seized the throne after murdering his own brother.

_'I hate these meetings; these old fogies are no fun! Who wants to hear about the old days? I lived the old days and they weren't all that great,'_ Althea grumbled to herself as she entered the council chambers. _'The things I have to put up with in order to ensure our King becomes pregnant.'_ Althea have been stuck in a boring meeting but she will at least have some fun with her mysterious questions and answers. _'I wonder how long it will take until they notice our king isn't going to join us?'_

It was Zosimos, Althea's brother and General of the Army who was the first to notice that Ianto and Jack had yet to arrive "Where are our young King and his Jack?"

Althea favoured the council with a knowing smile. "Our young King has entered his first true heat as a bonded mate. He and Jack will not be seen for the rest of the week, for the stars have spoken to me and told me that our King will bear the next in line for the throne."

Zosimos shook his head; he was not at all surprised at his sister's actions. "You mean to tell us that our King will soon be pregnant and Jack's child?"

Lyra, a childhood friend of Ianto's, sat up straight in her chair, excitement shining in her amber eyes. "A baby? Oh this calls for a celebration! Can I plan what the humans call a baby shower?" The young woman was practically bouncing in her chair with anticipation.

"Lyra, that's enough." Her soft-spoken mate, Noam, gently told her. "There is no need to get ahead of ourselves; we should wait until we know for a fact that Ianto is indeed with child."

"Indeed, besides Thyra will have something to say about if she's kept from planning a party and I don't know about you, but none of us want to be on her bad side. That woman is scary." Zosimos shivered in fear as he pictured his mate's unbridled wrath if she wasn't a part of the party planning committee. _'For a small woman she can quickly become a fire-breathing dragon.'_

Althea fought the urge to cackle with laughter as everyone else cringed at the idea of having to face Thyra's wrath; no one forgot the bone-terrifying lecture she'd given to Jack, John and Owen about what she would do to them if they hurt Ianto, Kathy or Rhys in any way, shape or form. Of course Caden had pouted and asked why she hadn't given the same talk to Tosh, whereupon Thyra had looked him up and down, and with a saucy grin, she'd told Tosh she could do so much better.

"So will we see our King or his mate any time soon?" Noam asked Althea.

Althea had a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, if you don't mind watching a free peep show and then having Jack rip you apart with his bare hands for daring to see his Ianto naked, then yes, I suppose you can hope they will make an appearance," she informed them with a deceptively sweet smile.

Zosimos shook his head as he looked at his sister. "You're getting to much fun out of this. Until our King's heat comes to an end they shall not be disturbed," he decreed.

"What about meals?" Lyra asked with a thoughtful look on her face; she didn't want to get ripped apart but Ianto and Jack did have to eat.

"Oh, that's easy," a new voice piped in. "If you want them to come back in one piece just make sure that whoever you send in with food and drink for them that it's someone Jack won't see as a rival or threat to his bond with Ianto," John warned them with a saucy grin. He knew full well that Althea wasn't joking about Jack's willingness to end anyone who dared to look twice at his Ianto naked or who he deemed a threat to his mate or their bond.

_'Of course if they think Jack is bad now just wait until Ianto becomes pregnant! Then heaven help anyone who even looks at Ianto funny they'll never even see what hit them.'_ John's face fell as a sudden thought hit him. _'Sooo... I guess that means my days of flirting with Eye-Candy are over.'_ He pouted at that but then brightened up when he decided that he actually _liked_ having his mini captains attached to his body.

"Noam, I want you to keep an eye on our King's future." Zosimos issued his orders to the court seer. "Even though Thanatos has been defeated, Aeron is still out there somewhere. He is still a dangerous foe and I fear he may be biding his time until he strikes again." While he was overjoyed at the thought of his godson having a child of his own, Zosimos knew that there were still those who had been loyal to Thanatos out there  waiting to avenge the false king's defeat.

Once it became known that Ianto was with child, he would be more vulnerable than ever before. _'I need to speak with Jack; he must know of the perils his new family will face.'_ Zosimos made himself a mental note, realising he would have to wait until Ianto's mating cycle was over.

Noam nodded his head. "I will keep a close eye on Ianto's future and report anything that could pose a danger."

"If Aeron wants to try anything he'll have to get past us first," Caden growled from his chair. A murmur of agreement went around the table.

"Damn right; Jack and Ianto may sometimes be royal pains in the arse but they're _our_ pains in the arse," Owen grumbled. There was no way he would ever let anyone hurt them or their yet-to-be child.

Tosh bit her lower lip, torturing it with her teeth. "What about getting in contact with the Doctor and the Master, just as a back-up plan? We all know that the Doctor is extremely protective over Jack and Ianto and the Master has proven that he will maim anyone who even thinks of hurting Ianto," Tosh reminded them.

Rhys nodded his head. "Tosh has a good point. The Master and the Doctor could give us a much-needed helping hand and we've all seen how brutal the Master can be to someone who tried to harm Ianto. In fact, simply making that one piece of information known could be a very effective deterrent."

Zosimos had a thoughtful look on his face. "Very well we shall call the Time Lords but do not say anything to them about Ianto being pregnant just yet. It would do no good to spoil the surprise or get everyone's hopes up," he cautioned and he was pleased when everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Now it's time to move onto the next agenda item." Zosimos seamlessly retook control of the meeting.

*****  
A tiny whimper escaped Ianto's kiss-swollen lips as Jack's mouth hungrily devoured his and their bodies rocked together in unison as Jack thrust gently in and out of Ianto's pliant body. Unlike their many previous couplings of this morning, this union was soft, gentle and lovingly unhurried. Looking deep into Jack's eyes Ianto dropped his mental shields and when he felt Jack do the same he smiled and tenderly stroked the side of his husband's face. Together they opened their bond inviting each other in, and then as one they flew beyond the heavens.

*****  
In tune with everything around her, Lyra let out a soft squeal and clapped her hands with glee as the wind and the leaves danced around her and the stars sang with joy. The blessed miracle had happened; Ianto was pregnant. _'Oh I can't wait to throw my very first baby shower!'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_One week later_

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. So nice of you two to finally join us, we didn't think you were ever leaving your room!" Owen snarked as Jack and Ianto entered the dining room.

Jack beamed at Owen while keeping a tight grip on Ianto's waist. "Aww, Owen, you missed us. We weren't gone that long." If Jack had it his way he and Ianto would still be holed up in their room making good use of their big bed but he'd given in to Ianto's plea for a short respite from their love-making.

Owen rolled his eyes with fond exasperation; he hadn't missed the look in Jack's eyes. "Oh you have got to be bloody kidding me! We didn't see you for a week and you still haven't had your fill of the Tea-Boy yet?!"

Nuzzling Ianto's neck Jack grinned wickedly at Owen. "Nope and I never will." Jack purred as he nipped at Ianto's pulse point, loving the sight of his mate's cheeks darkening to a deliciously deep red hue.

Ianto shifted as he felt himself starting to grow hard in response to Jack's actions. "Did we miss anything important?" He hoped that by focusing on other things than what his mate was doing to his neck, he could distract his libido. _'Stop that, Jack,'_ Ianto lightly admonished his husband across their bond.

_'Don't want to, you smell so good,'_ Jack purred back. As far as he was concerned, Ianto always smelt delicious but lately there has been a little something else to Ianto's scent, something extra that had been driving Jack wild all week. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get enough of Ianto's new scent.

John stretched lightly, being careful not to look for too long at Ianto. "Naw, not much Eye-Candy, but it's nice to know that you do remember there's life outside of your bedroom. "A n unspoken reminder of their agreement passed through them all; they would wait until the time was right to fill them in on Althea's little news. There was no need to raise false hope in either man.

******  
 _Six weeks later_

Ianto was lying in bed, trying desperately to calm his roiling stomach. He'd been utterly miserable for the past few days; he'd been feeling off and rather sick to his stomach especially in the mornings, but so far he'd managed to keep it from Jack. Unfortunately, this morning he could no longer keep quiet as he bolted from the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

Opening his eyes, Jack frowned slightly when he realised he was alone in an empty bed; sitting up slowly he winced as the sound of Ianto being sick reached his ears. Not waiting a second longer Jack flung off his covers and padded naked into the bathroom where he found his mate hunched over the toilet in misery. "Oh, Yan, I'm right here," he murmured and gently rubbed Ianto's back until he was finished and then quickly got him a cup of water. Jack quickly cleaned up the bathroom while Ianto brushed his teeth and once that was all taken care of Jack ushered Ianto back into bed and curled his arms around his lover.

"Oh, Yan, what's wrong, baby?" Jack gently brushed back Ianto's hair and pressed a kiss onto Ianto's clammy forehead.

Burying his nose in Jack's neck Ianto breathed in deeply, absorbing Jack's scent down to very core and felt his stomach settle slightly. "I'm not sure. I've been feeling off for a few days I thought it was nothing but maybe I should see Althea," Ianto murmured softly. The longer he was in his mates arms the better he felt.

"We'll talk to Althea in a little while but for now I just want you to rest." Jack hated seeing Ianto sick; he always felt utterly helpless whenever he was forced to watch Ianto suffer.

"That sounds like a good idea," Ianto mumbled as he nuzzled the flesh underneath Jack's ear. The comforting scent of his mate was pushing back his body's ill feelings, making him feel very loved, contented and sleepy. With a soft sight, he snuggled down into Jack's arms and let sleep claim him.

Jack shivered lightly as Ianto's lips brushed lightly against his heated skin. "Try and get some more sleep, Yan, it's still early. I'll look after you." When no answer came Jack looked down and smiled at the sight of Ianto's sleeping face; Ianto's body was boneless in his relaxed state and his slow, even breathing showed just how tired the young king really was.

_'I hope Althea will have some idea as to what's wrong with Ianto.'_ Jack studied his slumbering lover. Ianto was always so healthy, filled with  life and over-flowing with youthful energy and for him to be sick for no reason was quite distressing. Jack traced a fingertip across Ianto's cheekbone before placing a tender, loving kiss on the delicate Cupid's bow of his lips.

******

Despite Jack's advice to stay in bed Ianto decided to chance joining the others for breakfast, saying that he actually felt fine and would welcome some exercise. "Not _that_ kind of exercise, Jack!" he protested when the immortal swept him up in a warm hug. One soft kiss and a pleading look from big blue eyes and Jack caved although he did insist on one simple rule, "The moment you start feeling sick we are seeking Althea out."

Sensing Jack's worry and knowing that his concern stemmed from love, Ianto couldn't see the harm in agreeing to that one little rule. "That sounds reasonable to me, Cariad."

Wrapping a possessive arm around Ianto's waist Jack led them through the halls to the dining room. He was feeling fiercely protective of his mate, an unusually intense need to shield him from any and all dangers coming out. He'd always done his best to take care of Ianto, to keep him safe and happy, but this was more, so much more.

 Jack didn't even realise that he was growling at anyone who so much as glanced at Ianto until Ianto whispered in his ear, "Jack, you're scaring people!" After that Jack settled for merely glaring daggers at anyone who tried to mess with his mate. Somehow they managed to make it to the dining room without Jack giving into the urge to rip apart those who were looking at his Ianto.

"Ianto, are you alright?" Tosh asked the moment they stepped into the room; after all, there was no missing the fact that Ianto was paler than normal and that the moment he smelled the food, he started to look a little green.

Ianto gave Tosh what he hoped was a convincing smile but from the look in Tosh's eyes he failed. "Thank you for asking, Tosh, but actually, I'm not feeling all that well, haven't been for a few days now," he admitted. "I'm hoping that Althea has some time to see me today, if only to reassure Jack that I'm okay."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Oh you will be seeing Althea today even if I have to carry you there."

If the lovers had been paying attention to the others they would have noticed the looks that were they all exchanged and the way John lightly sniffed the air. _'Oh yeah, Eye-Candy's knocked up all right. Way to go, Jack!'_ Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could taste the slight change in Ianto's scent and he was suddenly very aware of his rapidly hardening groin.

John was very thankful he was sitting down otherwise he might have ended up jumping Ianto's right there on the breakfast table. The only thing that kept him in his seat was the knowledge that he would have ended up with a bullet in his head thanks to Jack. _'That is, if Kathy doesn't strike me down first!'_

They knew that someone was going to have to bring up the subject of Ianto's probable pregnancy, but not one of them knew how to start that conversation. Then without warning, the decision was taken out of their hands.

"Well, it seems as though congratulations are in order, my young King. You and your mate have been truly blessed, for you are now eating for two or perhaps even three." Althea made her dramatic announcement as she entered the dining room with an amused, knowing gleam in her eyes. "Our King has been blessed and shall deliver the first of the new line."

Whirling around with Ianto still protectively snug in his arms, Jack glared at Althea, as though daring her to come any closer. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Jack demanded; although a sudden surge of hope swept through him, he was still a little unsure if he'd heard the court's healer correctly.

Althea rolled her silver eyes with fond exasperation before calmly repeating, "I said, our King has been blessed and shall deliver the first of the new line." She then turned her attention to Estelle and asked in a highly exaggerated whisper, "Are all Earth men this slow?"

It was Kathy who decided to answer, "I'm afraid so, and it's sad when you know that these two are a glimpse of our future." Kathy gestured towards Jack and John. Both men looked at her, John especially wondering why his mate had singled them out.

"I pity the human race," Althea stated with pure seriousness

Estelle couldn't help but smile at the purely gobsmacked look on Jack's face and she took pity on her old friend. "What I think she's trying to tell you is Ianto's pregnant." 

Both Ianto and Jack blinked and stared at Althea, their mouths hanging open in shock but then suddenly it was like a light bulb went off in Jack's head. _'That explains so much! A primal part of me knew that Ianto would get pregnant and wanted to make sure that happened. Ianto's carrying my child!'_ That final thought sent waves of joy crashing through Jack as he realised that his Ianto really was pregnant. A loud whoop of excitement escaped Jack's lips as he picked Ianto up and spun him around in a dizzying happy circle.

Ianto clung tightly to Jack as his mate spun him around while laughing with delight. Seeing Jack so happy brought a tearful smile to Ianto's face. "Jack, could you put me down?" Ianto asked softly feeling more than a little queasy from all the motion.

Jack instantly saw the tinge of green to Ianto's cheeks and he quickly placed his lover back on his feet, steadying him even as he brushed a gentle kiss across Ianto's forehead. "Sorry about that, Yan."

As his lover settled him into the closest empty seat, Ianto gave Jack's hand a gentle squeeze and a soft kiss to show there was no need to apologize for being so happy. Turning his gaze to his godmother, she could see the hopeful questions in his eyes. "Are you _sure_ I'm pregnant? How can you tell?" More than anything in the world, he wanted to give Jack a child, the ultimate to symbol of their never-ending love.

To his race giving their mate a child was to seal their everlasting bond through eternity, but he didn't want either of them to get their hopes up if Althea's prophecy proved to be false.

Althea smiled gently, easily knowing what was going on through Ianto's mind. "I spoke to Noam and he confirmed that he has seen you heavy with child. Surely you noticed that your heat was very different this time around; your body was preparing itself to conceive and carry Jack's child. Plus, I can smell the slight change in your scent and Lyra has been noticing a new life-force glowing within you."

A big smile of pure delight spread across Ianto's face as he threw himself into Jack's arms. "We're having a child!" he cried out happily before kissing Jack deeply on the lips.

Grinning into the kiss Jack deepened it as he wrapped his arms around Ianto and pulled his mate flush against his body. His heart was singing so loudly that it drowned out all his thoughts.

Groans of mock despair escaped Owen. "Does this mean we'll be forced to see more moments like this?" The medic gestured towards Jack and Ianto; they were completely oblivious to those around them.

"Aye, that's a sight we'll all have to get used to and I strongly suggest that we all avert our eyes before Jack notices that we're staring at Ianto. John warned. "Remember, people, we're now faced with a possessive and overly-protective Jack who will happily rip apart anyone as he sees as a threat to Ianto and their child."

"Are you trying to tell us that Jack is going to be even more protective than that time when Ianto's shields shattered?" Tosh asked. She shivered, recalling the time when Ianto's mental shields had shattered beneath the onslaught of Gwen Cooper's negativity. Jack had become frighteningly protective of his injured mate.

"Well then, I pity the fool who even _peeks_ at Ianto the wrong way. Of course I for one never could see what harm a little maiming could do." A new voice cut in to the discussion.

At the same time another voiced piped up, "Oi! Could you stop with all the dancing?"

Reluctantly breaking their kiss, Jack and Ianto turned to see the newly arrived Time Lords standing in the doorway. "Doc! What are you doing here?" Jack asked his old friend, completely and deliberately ignoring the Master. Despite the fact that Ianto had helped to permanently silence the insanity-provoking drums in the Master's head, Jack still didn't like him.

The Master pouted dramatically. "Aww, Jackie-Boy, I'm getting the feeling you don't like me."

"You tried to seduce _my_ Ianto the moment you met him!" Jack roared with justified outrage, recalling how the Time Lord had laid on the charm a sadly misguided attempt to entice Ianto into travelling with him.

The pout faded off the Master's face as he nodded his head to be replaced with a greedy smirk. "Ah yes, well, for the record, I still think Ianto should have taken me up on my offer," the Master winked at Ianto; "he would have made a fine companion. In fact, the offer's still op..."

With a savage snarl, Jack abruptly interrupted the Time Lord as he tightened his grip on Ianto to a nearly painful degree. " _Mine_! If you want to keep your current face for a little longer you will remember that fact." Jack growled out his words through bared teeth.

Shaking his head the Doctor sighed as the old argument started up again, and deciding it was better to let the two children have their little tantrums, he focused instead on Ianto. "Ianto, it's so good to see you and I've heard the good news! Congratulations! I certainly hope he or she has your brains," the Doctor told the young man with a bright grin on his face.

Ianto did not appreciate the veiled insult to his mate and he slowly shook his head as he levelled a fierce glare at the Doctor. "Well _I_ hope our child has Jack's wonderful bravery and his kind, loving heart." Ianto refused to let anyone put Jack down even if they were teasing.

Ianto's words brought Jack's attention back to his mate, and his heart filled with warmth as he gazed lovingly at his husband. "Thank you, Ianto, but I hope our child has your kind heart; it's even greater than mine and I hope they love as deeply as you do." Jack brushed a loving kiss across Ianto's lips.

Two loud smacks and two cries of pain filled the air and all eyes turned to see the two Time Lords clutching the backs of their heads. Standing behind them, Althea was glowering at the Time Lords and waving her wooden staff around threateningly. "I don't care if you two _are_ the last of the Time Lords. You will not talk about our King's mate like that again."

"Damn right you won't and if you do it won't just be Althea's staff you get hit with." Tosh scowled at the two sheepish looking Time Lords; she liked them – well, she liked the Doctor; she merely tolerated the Master. Either way, she'd never forgiven either of them for their treatment of Jack during the Year That Never Was.

Caden cracked his knuckles loudly as he came to stand beside his mate. "You maybe powerful but here on Aiedail you _will_ treat Jack with respect and if either of you call him wrong or a freak it will be my personal mission to help you on to your next regeneration," the dark hair knight vowed. Tosh nodded in agreement as she tucked her hand into Caden's.

Lightning crackled out from the corners of Kathy's eyes. "That goes for me as well; Jack is family and we protect family."

The air around the Doctor and the Master grew a little warmer as Rhys grinned menacingly at the two of them. "Don't forget I can burn you alive. I may not have always liked Jack but he's proven himself time and time again and no one loves our King as much as he does. I won't have you making fun of him."

Jack's heart filled with warmth to see everyone come to his aid; while he still cared for the Doctor, he knew his and the Time Lord's relationship had never been the same after learning that the Doctor had abandoned him because he was wrong. _'Let's face it, the only reason I could find it within me to forgive the Doctor was because his choices led me to finding Ianto and that is something I will always be thankful to the Doctor for that, but I know the closeness we once had will never be there again.'_

Jack was oddly surprised to discover that the acute pain and sense of loss he once felt whenever he thought about his time with the Doctor and the way it ended were no longer there. All he could feel now was a distinct fondness for the memories of their adventures together. He knew when Ianto sense the difference in him because his young lover suddenly pulled back just far enough to look him in the eye. Across their bond he heard, _'I'm so proud of you, Jack, and I will always love you.'_

Sheepishly the Doctor looked at Jack with new-found respect in his eyes; it still amazed him how much loyalty Jack managed to inspire in those around him. "I'm sorry, Jack, I still need to learn to think before I speak." Rolling his eyes when he noticed that his lover was still refusing to say anything, the Doctor elbowed the Master painfully in the ribs.

"Fine, I'll leave Jack alone," the Master grumbled under his breath. _'Doesn't mean I can't think doing about stuff to him, though,'_ he thought belligerently.

A snort escaped Jack; he knew that was the best he was ever going to get from the Master, but it wasn't the Time Lord's opinion that mattered the most to him. No, the only opinion that mattered to him any longer was Ianto's.

Suddenly tired Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder. "Can we sit down?" he asked his mate quietly.

Silently cursing himself for not paying closer attention to his mate, Jack helped Ianto regain the chair he'd vacated when the Doctor and the Master had arrived. "After you eat, if you wouldn't mind, Althea, Owen, could you two mind checking Ianto over to make sure he's healthy?" Jack asked the healer and the medic.

"No problem," Owen nodded his head as he took a large bite into a piece of toast literally dripping with jam. "I was just going to order Ianto to check-in with me after we ate," and he blew strawberry-covered crumbs across the table as he spoke but when he saw Rhys' disapproving look, he finished chewing and swallowed before continuing. "We need to make sure the little one and Tad are doing okay."

"Oh you can bet your pretty little behinds that I'll give our young king a thorough check over, can't have anything happen to him or to the next prince or princess. Captain, I'm giving you strict orders that if Ianto puts up the smallest hint of argument then I better see you _carrying_ his stubborn self into my healing room," Althea ordered.

Ianto blushed brightly when he saw the way Jack was grinning wickedly; _'oh yeah, Jack will have no problem in following that order!'_

"Now as much as I enjoy the idea of seeing Ianto thrown over Jack's shoulder all caveman-like our food is getting cold," John pointed out poking at items on his plate. "And in his condition, I don't think Eye-Candy will enjoy the taste of cold eggs."

Knowing John was right, Jack decided to only growl at John for calling his mate that hated nickname and for no doubt picturing Ianto's arse up in the air. "Much as I hate to admit it, John's right, you should eat, Ianto, you need to keep up your strength." Jack began filling Ianto's plate with foods that his mate would be able to keep down.

Ianto smiled gently at Jack, loving how domestic his lover was acting and his smile grew as the plate full of fruits and toast was placed before him. "Thank you, Jack, this looks wonderful." Beaming with pride, Jack filled his own plate full of everything that caught his eye as his stomach rumbled loudly. Ianto could only shake his head fondly as he watched Jack build a veritable mountain on his plate; there was no doubt that the immortal loved food.

"You know it's amazing given how much you eat that you still manage to keep your girlish figure." Watching Jack try to balance one last piece of toast on his tower of food, Kathy spoke up and in her voice they all heard a rare teasing, _almost_ affectionate tone.

Heat filled Jack's eyes as he gazed at Ianto. "I have a _very_ good way of working off the pounds," Jack purred as he reached out and stroked Ianto's cheek gently. Sadly the tender moment was broken when a roll flew across the room, bounced off the top of Jack's head and plopped into Ianto's water glass.

"Oh yeah! Bulls-eye!" John crowed with laughter.

"I couldn't do that again if I tried!"

All eyes turned to the only person who would dare to throw a roll at Jack. Nonchalantly sipping his coffee, Owen shrugged his shoulders. "Oi! Like none of you wanted to do the same thing. It's now an iron-clad rule that there be no mushy stuff at the table, because I for one would like to keep my breakfast down." Owen growled as he glared at everyone over the rim of his cup.

Unable to resist bursting the medic's bubble, Jack had to spill the one little titbit of news that was guaranteed to drive Owen insane. "Then I should warn you now that if you think I couldn't keep my hands off Ianto before it'll be _nothing_ compared to what happens now that he's pregnant. You'd probably better be careful when you come into any room from now on, just in case Ianto and I are by ourselves. You never know what you may stumble upon."

Owen and Rhys blanched while the Doctor performed the perfect spit-take, spraying coffee into the air. "You mean to tell me that besides becoming extremely protective over young Ianto you're going to become even more sexed-crazed than usual?" The Master had a delighted look on his face. _'And here I was thinking this trip was going to be boring!'_

The corners of Jack's mouth turned up into a wickedly naughty smirk. "That's right, my DNA is pre-wired to make sure I take good care of my life mate and I think we all know how unbearably sexy  Ianto will look with a pregnant belly." Jack licked his lips and his eyes glazed over as he pictured how beautiful Ianto would be, his lithe body heavily pregnant with their child.

Althea's eyes narrowed and she trained the full force of her glare on Jack. "If you don't want a smack from my staff you will stop that train of thought and finish your breakfast," the healer warned with a raised eyebrow. _'While I don't mind a free show now and again, I refuse to have my breakfast ruined by Captain Horny.'_

Jack rubbed his head as all the times Althea had hit him over the head came back to haunt him; while it wasn't nearly as many times as Caden and Owen, it was still enough times to know how much that heavy thing hurt. "Fine," Jack reluctantly agreed. "I'll wait until Ianto and I are back in our room and _then_ I'll jump him!" he finished with a smirk.

"That's all we ask." Kathy spoke up much to the amusement of everyone else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The moment Ianto finished eating his breakfast he was quickly escorted to Althea's healing room by Jack and Owen. The younger man didn't see any point in fighting the inevitable, and truth be told, he too wanted to make sure that everything was all right with their little one.

And to both men's great joy it only took a few minutes before Althea quickly confirmed that Ianto was indeed pregnant with Jack's child. The pure brilliance of the joyful smiles that appeared on Jack and Ianto's faces could have powered the city for a year. Sensing that the soon-to-be parents needed some time alone Althea sent them on their way with a stern reminder to keep all of their 'romantic' activities confined to their bedroom and not the hallways. 

As they were making their way back to their room, anxious to celebrate their news, a purple blur rounded the corner and threw itself at Ianto. "Ianto! It's true! You're pregnant!" Lyra shrieked happily as she pulled Ianto in to a hug that nearly squeezed the air out of him and then pressed an enthusiastic kiss to his cheek.

Jack growled low in his throat and glared at her. Not intimidated in the least little bit, the dark-haired young woman just grinned cheekily and stuck her tongue out at the immortal. "Growl all you want, big man, but as Ianto's first, best and greatest childhood friend it is my _right_ to hug and kiss him. Besides, you have nothing to worry about from me; I have Noam and don't need anyone else," the young life force reader reminded Jack.

As if the mere mention of her mate's name manifested him, Noam came around the same corner in a light jog. "Sorry about her, she got away from me," the golden-haired young man apologised breathlessly to Ianto, and seeing the ferocious look in Jack's eyes he quickly peeled his mate off of Ianto. Having already heard through the castle grapevine about Jack's possessive nature where Ianto was concerned, Noam wasn't at all surprised that the moment Ianto was free Jack pulled him back into his arms.

As a way of making amends, Noam offered his king the following information. "You should be warned that Lyra and Thyra are already planning your baby shower."

Ianto didn't bother to smother his groan of utter dismay at the idea of the two women planning his baby shower, and given how terrifying Thyra was, no one dared to disagree with her or tell her no, not even her own mate, the brave Zosimos.

Jack chuckled and nuzzled the side of Ianto's neck. "Don't worry, Yan, I'm sure that Estelle, Tosh and Kathy will keep them in line." Jack knew that there was no way Tosh would have allow anyone to plan Ianto's baby shower without her involvement every step of the way. Jack was also sure that the party would remain tasteful and suitable for Ianto's temperament because everyone knew not to mess with the tiny fire-breathing dragon.

Ianto couldn't help but smile at the pout that appeared on Lyra's face and he barely swallowed a giggle when she said, "That's not fair: Tosh is just as scary as Thyra! They won't let me have any fun!" The young woman sulked.

Jack shivered. He had seen Toshiko when she was furious and in full-on protection mode; it was the single most terrifying sight he had ever seen and to this day he was grateful that it wasn't him who had earned Tosh's anger. Grinning, Jack pressed a kiss onto Ianto's cheek before he smiled warmly at Lyra. "Well, young lady, if you want Tosh's wrath turned on you because you kept her out of the plan then by all means go ahead."

Lyra's pout grew bigger and Ianto fought the urge to chuckle out loud as he realised that Lyra had the same pout as Jack. A tired yawn escaped Ianto's lips and he rested back against his mate's firm body. "I can always place Estelle in charge," Ianto offered up somewhat sleepily. He could tell this pregnancy was going to take a lot out of him and he was very grateful indeed when Jack wrapped a strong arm around his waist and held him close.

"That might not be such a bad idea, a calm and cool head like Estelle in charge she can make sure that some people..." and Noam paused to shoot a look at his mate, "don't go overboard." Like all the others who'd met her, Noam adored Estelle; her sweet nature and grand-motherly ways made it next to impossible for anyone to say no to her.

Lyra knew she was beat. "Fine, I'll let Estelle be in charge as long as we get to have a baby shower." She pointed a warning finger at Jack and Ianto and fire danced and burned in her eyes. There was no way she would be denied a chance to throw an over-the-top-party, especially not when it was for her best friend.

Jack grinned brightly, he did so love parties but at the same time he knew that they had to remember one simple thing, "Just remember to keep things tasteful, this is a party of Ianto after all."

Lyra grinned back at Jack. "No worries, I'll remember." She chirped happily before planting a kiss on her mate's lips and bouncing off to find Estelle in order to start planning the baby shower of all baby showers.

Noam sighed. "I better go keep an eye on her." He knew his mate too well; once she got into the swing of things she would forget to keep it low-key. Plus, from the look in Jack's eyes as his hand gently stroked gently over Ianto's belly, it was clear he wanted some alone time with his mate.

Once Noam was out of sight Jack whirled Ianto around and with love shining in his eyes, he claimed his mate's parted lips as he poured all the joy and love he was feeling at that moment through their bond. "I can't wait until you get your baby bump; I'm _never_ going to let you leave our bed!" Jack purred as he trailed kisses along the side of Ianto's mouth slowly working his way down to Ianto's neck.

Try as he might Ianto couldn't hold back the tiny whimper that escaped at Jack's passionate and possessive words. Heat was beginning to surge throughout his body as Jack's hands began to freely roam across Ianto's skin. "Jack, take me to bed and we can celebrate in private," Ianto pleaded with Jack; he needed his lover and he needed him now.

A possessive growl tore itself from deep within Jack's chest as he easily swept Ianto up into his arms as if he were a mere feather and began a brisk pace to their bedroom. His body was humming and throbbing with the overpowering need to mark his mate  so that everyone would recognize his claim and they would all remember that Ianto belonged solely to him and that he was carrying their child.

As the couple passed a darkened alcove, they never noticed the hidden figure watching them from the shadows. _'Master Aeron must know this piece of news!'_

*****  
Thyra watched with utter amusement as Lyra came skipping into her kitchen. "I take it Jack and Ianto are letting you throw the baby shower." Thyra was amused by how much human culture their King had brought back with him; they never heard of such things as baby showers until Tosh had explained them.

The pout returned to Lyra's face. "Yeah," she scowled, "as long as Estelle gets to be in charge. Seems Jack and Ianto don't trust me not to let everything get out of hand." She shook her head sadly; "too bad, cos I had some great ideas!"

"Don't take it personally, Lyra," Thyra shook her head at the spirited young woman. "Estelle no doubt has more experience with human rituals, and we both know that Estelle will take any suggestion you may have. I'm just happy that our young king is finally with child." A bright smile crossed Thyra's face. "Can you imagine, we're finally going to have a baby in the castle!"

Lyra clapped her hands together and sketched out an excited little dance. "I know! I can't wait for the baby to come; he or she is going to be adorable!"

_'I just hope that Aeron does not learn of the child; who knows what that man will do in order to avenge that monster he once called master.'_ Thyra knew that Zosimos would take no chances with the safety of Ianto and his future prince or princess. They were right to fear Aeron though; the man was a great danger to them all but more importantly to Ianto and his unborn child.

*****  
Hidden in the ruins of an old forgotten castle the silver-haired warrior listened intently to the news his spy had for him, his blue eyes shining with an outer-world light. "So the young king is carrying his first child?"

His spy nodded his head softly, fear gripping him. "Yes, my lord, I overheard King Ianto and his consort, Jack, themselves talking about the child."

Aeron leaned back in the crumbling throne. "You did well, very well." Still bound to his former master, Aeron knew that this might be the only way that he could redeem himself. "Let them celebrate this good news; it will help to lure them into a false sense of security. They will never expect anything is wrong until the very moment we strike. Return to your post and keep a close eye on our young King."

"Yes, Lord Aeron."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Six months later_

"I'm waddling." The words were spoken with a self-indulgent whinge. "Jack... are you ignoring me?"

"No, of course not, Yan!" Jack looked up at Ianto's complaint and couldn't help but smile at the sight before him; his mate was indeed waddling. "Well you _are_ pregnant with twins," and hadn't _that_ been a mind-boggling surprise when a gleeful Althea had informed them that Ianto was indeed carrying twins. Jack leered at Ianto with lust-filled his eyes; as far as he was concerned, Ianto just got more beautiful and more sexy with every passing day. Setting down the paper he'd been reading, Jack got up and took Ianto's hands in his. "But if you ask me, you look oh-so-hot doing so."  

To Jack's absolute delight Ianto blushed darkly at his words, and Jack couldn't resist the opportunity to claim his mate's tempting mouth; he was simply unable to go for very long without touching Ianto in some way, shape or form. John and Althea had been right when they'd said that Jack's protective and possessive instincts for Ianto would be greatly enhanced, the Immortal barely let Ianto out of his sight and hardly out of their bed.

Given that Ianto was always in a state of heat everyone agreed it was a very good idea if the two stayed locked in their room when the rest of the household was up and about. To ensure that Ianto got sufficient exercise, the parents-to-be had gotten into the habit of strolling in the gardens each night after the rest of the castle had retired. They rarely ever met anyone on their walks, and the privacy gave Jack plenty of opportunities to ravish his lover.

But on occasion their need for each other got the better of them regardless of locale. Jack's hand would begin to roam beneath Ianto's shirt as his lips created a hot trail of desire upon Ianto's skin with every kiss he placed along his neck. Ianto knew that they should head back to their room before things got out of hand but as Jack's hands drifted into his pants and began massaging his arse all conscious thought was driven from his mind.

The only thing Ianto could think of was having Jack inside him. No longer caring that they were in the dining room and breakfast was to be served soon, Ianto allowed Jack to lay him back on the table and open his trousers' fly. The desire for his husband and the need to join with him blinded him to everything else around them.

*****  
 _'I'll just snag myself something to eat and then I'll bring Rhys something light to eat.'_ Owen hadn't wanted to leave his mate when he was sick but Rhys had practically kicked him out of their bedroom. In between bouts of being sick, the warrior knight had literally ordered Owen to go feed his rumbling stomach. Willing to humour his mate, the medic had finally given in and gone in search of food. As he neared the dining room, Owen was so lost in his thoughts that he never heard the noises coming from inside. 

Pushing open the door and stepping inside, Owen then stopped short at the sight before him and it took a long moment for his brain to process just what he was seeing. His eyes flew open in shock when he realised that Jack's bare arse was in plain view for everyone to see as his tan skin glistened with sweat. Grunting softly with the effort, he thrust in and out of a heavily pregnant Ianto who was laid out in the middle of the table, his long legs hanging over Jack's shoulders allowing his mate to bury himself as deeply as possible with each powerful thrust of his hips.

A small sound, a squeak, really, escaped Owen's mouth, something he was sure couldn't have been heard over the moaning, but he forgot about Jack's sharp hearing. The immortal's head abruptly whipped around, his lust-darkened eyes were filled with love and warning. A dangerous growl rumbled from deep within Jack's chest. " _My_ Ianto!" Jack bared his teeth and snarled menacingly at Owen as though daring the medic to come closer.

Owen gulped and actually took a step back; it was clear that Jack wasn't dealing all that well with someone else seeing his Ianto naked; after all it was a sight reserved for the immortal's eyes only. _'He's acting like a feral beast protecting his mate!'_ Slowly Owen raised his hands in surrender. "I know Ianto's yours, Jack. I have my own mate, I don't need yours and I'll just be going now." Taking another step backwards, Owen just hoped that he could get out the door before Jack decided to rip his head from his shoulders.

Luckily that decision was taken out of Jack's hands as Ianto made a low sound of needy distress and Jack's attention was once again exclusively on Ianto. Nobody's fool, Owen wasted no time in hightailing it out of there as Jack once again began thrusting in and out of Ianto's tight heat.

Shutting the dining room door behind him, Owen rested his head against the cool wood as he let out a relieved sigh, _'I am going to be scarred for life after that, I just knew it! that scene will forever be burned into my mind forever!'_ Wiping a hand across his brow, Owen looked up and down the hall, wondering if he should stand guard in order to warn off any other accidental onlookers.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind couldn't stop thinking about what he'd just seen and he finally decided, _'I need some Retcon and then I have to make sure that table is promptly burned to a crisp once they're finished, of course and a new one ordered in time for lunch. But I think I'll be eating in the kitchen from now on!'_ There was no way Owen was stepping foot back in that dining room for a very long time, he liked keeping his food down.

As the noises inside grew in intensity and volume, Owen shuddered violently, _'I better keep everyone away for a long, long time.'_

*****

True to his word Owen had the table promptly thrown out and destroyed within minutes of Jack and Ianto having finished making use of it. Thyra promised a new one would be in place for the next meal which made Owen a very happy boy despite the fact he was still very worried about Rhys so much so that he finally decided to ask Althea to check him over.

Althea smiled knowingly as Owen approached her, and she raised her hand to silence him. "I will see Rhys right after lunch."

Owen could only shake his head with wonder although he wasn't at all surprised that Althea knew Rhys was sick. _'Nothing escapes this woman. She should be the seer and not Noam.'_ In some ways it was downright scary how Althea knew everything; she reminded Owen of a grandmother and a female version of Ianto with his _'I know everything'_ ability.

However, unlike Ianto Althea was willing to use her very heavy wooden staff to hit you over the head when you said something smart to her. Ianto's most effective weapon was the dreaded cup of decaf, unless you were Jack and then he'd also threaten to withhold sex. Owen shuddered; _'God, I wish I didn't know that much about their sex life!'_ He forced himself back to the matter at hand, his mate's poor health.

"You know what's wrong with Rhys, don't you?" Owen asked with a sigh.

"I do know what's wrong with Rhys," Althea informed him with a knowing grin, and she thoroughly enjoyed the frustrated groan that escaped Owen's lips. "Do not worry, human healer, it's nothing serious but..." the elderly woman paused for a moment, letting the tension build.

Finally Owen couldn't take it any longer. "But what!?" he bellowed.

Having achieved her desired result, the healer finished her sentence. "Just how good are you at handling babies?"

As Owen went pure white with disbelief, Althea chuckled heartily, pleased that she had once again managed to silence the sarcastic and impatient doctor.

*****  
Rhys watched bleary-eyed and queasy as Owen paced the floor of their suite muttering non-stop under his breath about 'all-knowing healers who like to be cryptic just because it amuses them', detailing the differences between wooden stick and cold decaf, and curiously, 'nobody wants porn for breakfast'. For some reason Rhys found that last bit quite intriguing.

"What did Althea say to you?" he asked knowing from past experience that she was the only one who could make Owen lose this much control.

Owen halted in mid-stride and turned to look at Rhys, although it took him a few seconds to actually meet his husband's eyes. Rhys could see that he was struggling to find the right words and then suddenly, he blurted out, "I think Althea thinks you're pregnant!"

"Huh?" Unable to form coherent words, Rhys could only gaze at Owen and blink owlishly a couple of times before his eyes and his hands flew down to his stomach. "Rah... ooo..." his voice came out as an incomprehensible rasping noise and after clearing his throat and drinking a little bit of water, Rhys tried again. "Are you sure that's what she said? Maybe you misheard her?" It wasn't that Rhys didn't _want_ to have Owen's child but he wasn't sure if Aiedail could handle having his and Ianto's hormones raging out of control at the same time.

"Oh he didn't misunderstand me, that is indeed what I said." Althea's voice cut through the air.

Both men jumped violently at the woman's silent arrival, although one had a much more vocal reaction, "Damn it, woman! Stop doing that! We need to put a bloody cat bell around your neck! And how the hell did you get in here?" Owen demanded as he stood arms akimbo glaring at her.

"Remember I told you I would be stopping by after lunch?" Althea calmly pointed out, speaking to Owen as if he were a slow child.

_'I swear she does this just because she gets some sort of perverse joy out of giving everyone cryptic answers.'_ Owen ran a shaky hand through his hair as he forced a calm breath out through his clenched teeth. "I meant, how did you get in the room, our door was locked."

Althea waved her hand in the air in an uncaring manner. "Oh, that was easy; who did you think taught Ianto to pick locks?" she asked innocently.

With a deep sigh, Owen hung his head in defeat while in their bed Rhys laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. Finally able to catch his breath and speak, the knight grinned and pointed out to his mate, "She's got you there, luv; Althea taught Ianto all the tricks he would need to survive after his uncle seized the throne."

A sigh escaped Owen's lips, he knew _exactly_ how well Althea trained had Ianto; after all, the displaced prince had used every skill at his disposal to con Jack and hide Lisa from them all those years ago. As he looked back on those memories, Owen had to admit that he had been impressed with Ianto's ability to scam Jack, an inter-galactic conman himself. "I should have known that it was you who taught Ianto all his dirty tricks, but they do come in handy for keeping Jack in line."

Althea scoffed. "Ianto doesn't need any of my tricks to keep Jack in line; that man is hopelessly in love with Ianto which means Ianto has that man wrapped firmly around his little toe."

"That's little finger, wrapped around his _little finger_." Owen sighed as he saw the blank look appear in Althea's eyes, "Oh, never mind. So you think you know what's wrong with Rhys?"

A bright smile appeared on Althea's face. _'I am so going to enjoy this,'_ she thought to herself with wickedly pure glee. "Rhys is with child."

Rendered speechless by those four words, Owen and Rhys stared at one another for a moment, not sure if they'd actually heard Althea right. Then, as one, even though they would both vehemently deny it later, they screeched loudly, "What?!"

Prepared for that reaction, Althea just smiled knowingly. "I said Rhys, you are with child. Honestly, you've spent far too much time among the humans; you're even acting like one."

"But, that's not possible! Rhys doesn't even have any women parts!" Owen protested weakly. "I'm a doctor! I'd know if he did!"

Althea raised an eyebrow; she really wanted to ask him if being a doctor was the only way he knew about his mate's private parts but then, _'No, that's something Jack would say.'_ Instead, she said, "Yes, but he's a Aiedailian and for our people, the greatest show of love is for us to carry our mate's child," she reminded them.

Rhys' hands rested on his stomach as the shock faded away and a slow smile spread across his face. "We're going to have a baby," he whispered in pure awe, and slowly Rhys' eyes sought out Owen's. "You are happy about this, aren't you?" The knight's eyes were filled with cautious hope.

Owen's heart clenched tightly as he saw the joy and wonder spreading across his mate's face; in his life there had only been one other person that Owen had wanted a family with and that had been Katie. _'I may have been robbed of this with Katie but I've been given a second chance. I'm going to have a family with the man I love!'_ A rarely seen from-the-heart smile lit up Owen's face as he crossed the distance between them and took Rhys' hand in his. "I am _very_ happy about this."

"Wonderful!" Althea clapped her hands together then abruptly found herself staring at Owen.

Feeling quite self-conscious, Owen suddenly wondered if maybe his fly was open or if he'd grown a second head. Finally he couldn't take the scrutiny any longer. "What!?"

Startled from her thoughts, Althea grinned at the rattled medic. "I was just wondering if you'll start acting like Jack?" She had to admit she rather liked the idea of having two overly possessive and hormonally-driven men to torment. In her mind's eye she was actually rubbing her hands together like an evil genius who'd just come up with the perfect plan.

Feeling weak in the knees, Owen paled at the thought of acting as insanely out-of-control as Jack did whenever he was around Ianto. Frantically, he searched his mind for something –anything! – to say that would negate Althea's suggestion and then it hit him. "No, I don't think so," he shook his head decisively. "Remember Jack is from another time period than me, where they have quite a different view on mates and mating. Trust me when I say that his and Ianto's relationship has always been much more passionate and full of stronger emotions right from the very start. Compared to them our relationship was a walk in the park."

"Isn't that the truth!" Rhys had to agree with his mate; he'd had a front row seat for watching the development of Jack and Ianto's relationship. Together, they had faced many challenges along the way, including having Ianto's psychotic uncle hunting him down to finish what he'd started years ago. And now whether he was doing it on purpose or not, Ianto had Jack so firmly wrapped around his little finger that Jack was willing to do anything to keep his pregnant mate happy.

"Aww, too bad, I was really looking forward to... oh well, I can't wait to see how you handle Rhys' mood swings." Althea was practically gleeful as she pictured grumpy, sarcastic Owen having to deal with all of Rhys' hormonal demands. _'And I can't wait to what his reaction will be if Rhys started wobbling like Ianto did.'_

At the beginning of Ianto's pregnancy, when Jack didn't think Ianto should be eating some of the things he wanted, and especially some of the odd things his pregnant appetite literally _craved,_ all Ianto had to do was look at Jack with tear-filled eyes and a wobbling lower lip and Jack was a goner. The immortal had fallen over his own feet in his haste to satisfy his mate's food-related desires. Behind his back, Owen had taken to calling Jack, 'Captain Push-Over.'

Owen snorted; there was no way he was going to be as weak as Jack was and bend to his mate's every wish. "Unlike Captain Push-Over, I still have my balls attached. I think I can handle whatever Rhys throws at me."

Althea shook her head. "Just make sure that Jack never hears you call him that, I don't think he'd be too pleased with you," she cheerfully told Owen.

Rhys vigorously nodded his head in agreement with Althea; while Jack may act like a love-sick puppy when it came to Ianto, everyone else, expect for maybe Estelle, Tosh and because she never let Jack's attitude get to her, Kathy, Jack could still be the hard-ass leader of Torchwood Three when the need called for it.

Owen blanched and gulped convulsively. He'd forgotten that while Jack was practically tripping over his own feet to make Ianto happy, on one occasion he had shown his possessive side when it came to Ianto. He'd nearly ripped the head off of a foolish young servant who had shamelessly and thoughtlessly flirted with Ianto in a misguided attempt at humour. "Right, what I said about Jack stays here between the three of us, okay?" He looked from Rhys, who nodded in the affirmative, to Althea, who merely chuckled.

"Oh no, Doctor Harper, this only stays between us until the next time you piss me off!" Althea warned with a musical laugh that echoed behind her as she left the room.

Owen shook his head. _'Yep, I definitely know where Ianto gets his attitude from. I just hope those children turn out much more behaved.'_ Owen knew that wasn't an empty threat from Althea and he now realised that he had to be on his best behaviour when around her, _'This is gonna be a long pregnancy.'_ The doctor glanced at his mate and smiled, _'but I wouldn't change a thing.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Childish laughter filled the air as a young girl no older than six ran through the open fields of Aiedail, the wind whipping up her brown locks, her blue eyes lit with joy. "Come on,  Anian you're so slow!" she called over her shoulder._

_Grumbling could be heard as a young boy chased after her, his own brown hair ruffled and unkempt; their many similarities made it clear they were siblings. "It wouldn't hurt for you to slow down, Blodwyn," Anian muttered to his sister._

_A third figure joined them chuckling as he bent down in front of the young girl. "He's right, my little flower; there are many dangers out here who would seek to harm you, my princess."_

_Blodwyn beamed up at the other man. "I have nothing to fear, I know you'll always protect me, Aeron."_

_The former knight to the past king smiled down tenderly at the young girl. "Of course I will, Blodwyn; I will protect you with my life," Aeron vowed._

_"Blech, are you two going to act like dad and tad when you get older?" Anian winkled up his nose in typical boyish disgust._

_Blodwyn smiled up at Aeron. "I hope so; after all Aeron will someday be my husband," the little girl declared with all the certainty of childhood innocence. In that moment, she looked just like her father when he had made his mind up about something._

*****

As the vision faded Noam shot up in bed, his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest. _'Could it possibly be true? Could my king and Jack's daughter be the mate of Aeron?'_ Noam ran a trembling hand through his hair unable to shake his vision. _'This will change everything.'_

*****  
"So have you heard the latest news? It seems Owen managed to knock up Rhys," John casually announced as he joined his mate, Caden and Tosh, who were outside in the gardens, overseeing the training of the new guards. They were using the huge expanse of lawn to conduct a variety of variety of offensive and defensive manoeuvres, all of which were designed to ensure the safety and security of the castle and its occupants as well as Aiedail itself. John openly sniggered with great joy as he watched Caden choke on his words and then gasp desperately for air.

Murmuring softly in his ear, Tosh gently rubbed her mate's back to help get his breathing under control. Kathy on the other hand delivered on hard whack against Caden's back.

"Oww...!! Kathy, did you have to hit me so hard?" Caden whined once he was able to breathe again; red-faced, wheezing and with tears streaming down his cheeks, he leaned into Tosh's comforting hold.

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Yes, because you were being a big drama queen. Now the question you _should_ be asking is, 'why didn't _I_ figure it out, because Tosh and I realised that Rhys was pregnant a week ago."

Both John and Caden turned wounded eyes on to Tosh. "Toshiko! How could you keep something this important from me? Don't you realise the days of teasing I could have already gotten from this!" Caden pouted at his mate. "It's not fair!" he whinged childishly and he barely stopped himself from stamping his foot on the ground.

Putting on her most innocent face, Tosh smiled sweetly at the pouting Caden. "I thought you knew. After all, it really wasn't hard to miss the signs; I mean even the Master commented on the glow Rhys was sporting before he and the Doctor left." The Master's unusual observation had surprised everyone; he was without a doubt the most insane of all Ianto's watchdogs. Oddly enough the Master was also the only one who fully approved of Jack's territorial nature around Ianto. Tosh wasn't normally a cynical person, but even she had assumed that he was just enjoying the show.

Blissfully ignorant as always of the roiling emotions around him, the Doctor was on the hunt for the perfect baby gift. He even knew exactly where to look, Mama Linki's Baby Market in Gullveig, where craftsmen from around Aiedail brought in an incredible variety of handmade items. Well aware of his husband's habit of losing all track of time, the Master had gone along for the shopping trip to make sure the Doctor didn't miss the twins' birth.

"How was I supposed to know that's what he meant! That Time Lord speaks in more riddles than Althea does," Caden pointed out with an exaggerated sulk.

John nodded his head. "Caden's right, the only ones who can figure out what the Master is saying are Ianto and the Doctor, and quite a few times the Doctor has been wrong." John was sure it was a form of kinky foreplay between the two Time Lords. The Master would give the Doctor a cryptic answer and when the other Time Lord got it wrong he would pout and sulk while the Master gloated triumphantly. This in turn would force the Doctor to snap and jump his husband's bones. "Sometimes they're almost as bad as Jack and Ianto."

Kathy actually scoffed loudly at that. "Oh puh-leese! _No_ one is as bad as Jack and Ianto; at least the Time Lords have never had sex where we could see them." Kathy was convinced that nearly everyone in the castle had caught the King and his consort at least once, and in some cases, twice, enjoying one another's bodies. She also knew that while Jack was very territorial he also liked showing off Ianto, and their erotic displays of affection were actually a strict visual reminder to any interlopers that Ianto was his and his alone.

Tosh blushed as she remembered the numerous times she'd caught Jack and Ianto in the old Hub and several times here in the palace. She'd found them in the green house, in Jack's office, up in the Tourist Office, down in the Archives, in the Autopsy Bay, and once, on the invisible lift. She was willing to bet that there wasn't a single place in Torchwood Three's underground base that remained virgin territory, except for perhaps Myfanwy's aerie and probably Janet's cell.

With a fond smile, she remembered that they'd only been home on Aiedail for a few hours and she'd taken a wrong turn; instead of entering the music room as she'd thought, Tosh had walked into an old-fashioned cloak room, and right in the middle of the floor, on a pile of coats she'd discovered a tangle of sweaty, exhausted limbs and two happy smiles, only one of which was embarrassed.

She couldn't even step foot in the royal gardens without blushing and remembering the afternoon she'd gotten an eyeful of Jack lying flat on his back beneath the golden tree that had stood for centuries as a sign of Ianto's royal line. He'd been surrounded by the most beautiful flowers of purple, silver and blue with Ianto riding him like they hadn't a care in the world. What she remembered most was the way they'd been looking at one another with the pure love shining in their eyes.

Caden's heated eyes fell upon Tosh as the scent of her rising lust, prompted by the visual memories that were filling her mind, hit him like an irresistible tsunami. "Come along, my exotic little mate, I think it's time we had a little _private_ time of our own," the dark-haired knight purred as he scooped up Tosh into his arms and with a wink to Kathy and John and a cheery, "Don't wait up for us," they disappeared into the castle.

Looking after the vanishing pair, Kathy fought back the smile that wanted to appear on her lips when two strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she found herself pulled back against John's strong, hard body. "I think that is an excellent idea, my dark warrior princess; what do you say we follow their lead?" John purred seductively in Kathy's ear as he nibbled on the lobe.

Kathy shivered as John's fingers tickled and stroked her belly. Unable to resist her mate but not about to let him know that, after all, John already had a big enough ego, Kathy turned around in his arms. Slowly she slid her hands up his chest, pausing to rub her palms against the hard tips of his male nipples and eventually making her way up to wrap her arms around John's neck. Kathy pretended to think about John's offer before saying, "Well, I guess I could use the _distraction_." She lowered her voice, taking on a sex kitten tone, and she was pleased to see a tiny bit of drool appear at the corner of John's mouth as his eyes glazed over. Oh _yes,_ she had him wrapped around her little finger, nice and tight.

John narrowed his eyes as he spotted the pleased gleam in her eyes. _'The little minx knows she owns me body and soul and there's not a damn thing I can do about it, not that I'd want to anyway.'_ John Hart had known from the moment he'd met this beautiful strong-willed woman that he was lost forever. Her beauty, her spirit and the sheer strength of her love for him had wrecked the former bad-boy for anyone else.

He was used to having a string of pretty beings available to choose from at any given time, and it had actually shocked him when he realised that he didn't want anyone else. Kathy gave him everything he been looking for and more; she made him feel happy, content, safe and above all else, loved. "Well then, let me distract you properly." John's voice was a husky growl as he lowered his head and laid claim to Kathy's lips.

New recruit training exercises were quickly forgotten as Kathy's body melted into John's. If they had been a little more aware of their surroundings, they would have noticed the silver two-tailed fox that was watching them with a calculating gleam in its eyes before it turned and dashed off into the forest.

*****  
It had taken a lot of pleading and the use of his rarely seen pout but Ianto had finally managed to convince Jack to let him not only out of bed but also out of their room. It was something they hadn't done since Owen had caught them making love on the dining room table. At the time, Jack had acted like a feral beast whose mate had been threatened and in his primitive hormonal state, Jack saw _all_ other males as a threat to his relationship with Ianto.

Jack's healthy libido, already enhanced by Ianto's pregnancy hormones, was pushed into over-drive by the sight of Ianto's round belly. It drove Jack completely insane with desire and it actually took every ounce of his self-control not to jump Ianto every single moment. Actually, he had done exactly that at first, until Ianto pointed out how worn out he was becoming from their extensive and vigorous love-making. After that, Jack had gone out of his way to be more attentive to Ianto's needs and less focused on his own.

It was early in the afternoon, and the remains of an impromptu picnic were scattered around their blanket. Jack lay back against the trunk of a flowering plum tree, with Ianto lying back between his legs. With Jack's arms around him and his hands stroking and scratching at his belly, Ianto was content beyond words. He smiled and closed his eyes as he felt the sun on his face and he sighed softly as he nestled deeper into Jack's hold as they basked in the beauty that was their private garden.

Flying lazy circles overhead, Myfanwy maintained a careful watch over her two favourite people. At first, she'd been a little startled to find herself on a new world but she'd quickly adapted to her new home, especially being able to great heights without limitation. When she'd realised that her best human friend was carrying a new life inside him, she had become their most diligent and faithful bodyguard.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the peaceful silence and had them instantly on guard; it was a well-known fact amongst the castle's staff that they were never to disturb Jack and Ianto when they were in the garden. Jack gave a quick short whistle and was rewarded by the sight of the pteranodon swooping low over their heads. "Myfanwy, eat anyone you don't know or who's not friendly if they come near your Tad," he ordered gruffly.

The answering chirp from Myfanwy and the sight of her moving to perch on the thick tree branch above Ianto had Jack smiling; he knew that Myfanwy would rip apart anyone who sought to harm their Ianto and his precious cargo.

Ianto fought the urge to roll his eyes; shortly after Ianto had discovered that he was pregnant, Myfanwy had decided to take after Jack and only let a very select few get close to him. On that short list were only the people Jack and Ianto trusted with their lives. Myfanwy took her duties very seriously, patrolling the castle's perimeter at night and remaining close to Ianto's chambers by day.

"Jack, I'm sure we're in no danger out here," Ianto tried to reassure his husband; he understood that it was in Jack's nature to be on edge and to safeguard his mate. In truth, Ianto found Jack's possessiveness downright sexy and he'd willingly admit that it had caused him to pounce on his mate more than a few times. Right now was a prime example, and Ianto was suddenly aware that his trousers were quickly becoming quite restrictive.

Jack growled low in his throat as the scent of Ianto's growing arousal reached his nose. _'I'm going to kill whoever is interrupting us. I should be making love to Ianto here in our garden not entertaining nosy-bodies!'_ It was never wise to get between Jack and Ianto and their private time; in fact, it was the equivalent to signing a death warrant.

Reluctantly releasing Ianto from his arms, Jack quickly climbed to his feet and fell into a protective stance in front of his pregnant mate. "Whoever this is you'd better have a damn good reason for interrupting my about-to-get-Ianto-naked time!" Jack snarled out.

"Oh stop that, Jack, you don't scare me one little bit." Estelle smiled sweetly at Jack as she entered the garden and when she saw Myfanwy watching her, she blew a kiss towards the prehistoric creature. Myfanwy acknowledge her with a chirp and a flap of her wings. Estelle turned her warm gaze onto Ianto and her face positively lit up when she saw Ianto. Relaxed and bathed in a beam of warm sunlight, he was simply glowing with good health and happiness. It was obvious that pregnancy suited the young king. "Hello, Ianto, I'd almost forgotten what you looked like. It's nice to see the big bad beast has finally allowed you some freedom." 

Ianto watched with utter amusement as the tension melted out of Jack and his scowl was replaced with a pout. "I'm not that bad," Jack muttered under his breath as he reclaimed his spot next to Ianto.

Ianto and Estelle exchanged knowing looks and on the tip of both their tongues was the 'yes, you are' that wanted to break free but, being the polite people they were, they wisely kept that little comment to themselves.

Ianto felt his whole body flush with delight and desire as Jack pulled him onto his lap and wrapped his arms protectively over his stomach. "So, Estelle, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Jack asked as he rested his hands on Ianto's baby bump. He absolutely loved feeling their children move and flutter beneath his fingers; if asked, he'd swear that they knew it was him touching them.

Watching the love flowing so freely between Jack and Ianto filled Estelle's heart with joy. "Thyra sent me out to inform the two of you that Ianto's baby shower is tomorrow and that there is absolutely no acceptable excuse as to why he can't come." Estelle raised an eyebrow as she saw Jack open his mouth and she pre-empted his protest with two little words: "Thyra's orders."

Jack shivered as he remembered the last time he'd cancelled the baby shower; he had pissed Thyra off so badly that he'd been forced to hide from her wrath for a full week. Thyra was itching to mother Ianto and fuss over her future grandchildren and the other women were getting anxious to host the baby shower. Jack's possessive behaviour had put the baby shower on hold several times until finally Thyra had completely snapped.

She'd curtly informed Jack that if he did not allow Ianto to attend his very own shower that she and the other women had worked so hard on, then she was going to snatch Ianto away and keep him out of sight and out of reach until after the babies were born. Jack could tell by the fire dancing in her eyes that she wasn't joking so Jack had caved on the one condition that he be allowed at the baby shower as well.

Deep down, Thyra knew that Jack really only had Ianto's best interests at heart, and she'd relented after Jack had sworn on his babies heads that he would be on his very best behaviour and that there would be absolutely no improper groping. Jack had readily agreed.

Upon learning that Jack was going to be amidst the ladies John and Owen had begged to come; to them, it was the perfect opportunity to get some prime blackmail material on Jack. Of course no one bothered to point out to either of them that they would also be prime targets for blackmail themselves.

A small smirk curled the edges of Ianto's lips. "Have you informed John and Owen yet?" He knew that Kathy was looking forward to getting her hands on something she could use to blackmail John with at a future date.

A light blush painted Estelle's cheeks. "They were all rather um.... _busy..._ but I'm sure they'll learn about it soon enough."

_'At least someone is getting some action,'_ Jack thought to himself sulkily; he loved Estelle, she would always be someone special to him but damn it, he wanted his alone time with Ianto! Shifting his legs so that rubbed his growing hardness against Ianto's arse, Jack grinned as he heard Ianto's breath hitch.

Ianto blushed brightly as he felt his mate's need pressing against his backside. He didn't want to be rude he enjoyed spending time with Estelle but right now he wanted, he _needed_ to be alone with his mate.

Estelle smiled gently; she knew exactly what was going through both men's minds. "Well, there's still many things to get ready before tomorrow's party, so I'll let you two get back to whatever it was you were up to." Estelle winked at Ianto and she was delighted when Ianto's blush deepened.

Jack grinned broadly, a naughty light shining in his eyes. "I'm sure whatever you, Thyra, Lyra, Tosh and Kathy have come up will be wonderful. Any word if the Doctor and Master will be there?" While Jack would always be fond of the Doctor, in his mind, tomorrow should be all about Ianto and their children, and the very last thing he wanted was for the Doctor to arrive with trouble on his heels, as was the Time Lord's norm.

As if reading Jack's mind Estelle hastened to reassure him, "The Master has promised us all that he will keep the Doctor out of trouble. Thyra has already made it clear that any trouble the Time Lords bring with them will seem like child's play once she gets through with them."

Jack had to grin when heard that; Thyra was a force to be reckoned with and he was convinced that Thyra was secretly training Tosh to be her successor. _'As if Tosh needs any training she's scary enough already.'_ Jack shivered, pleased that John, Owen, and more importantly, Caden, were all on the receiving end of Tosh's wrath these days.

Gaining control of his growing need Ianto smiled at Estelle, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. "I look forward to seeing what you've planned, and I'm sure it will be lovely. Thank you so much for going to all this trouble for me and our little ones." His gratitude was obvious in his voice and his smile.

"It's no trouble at all! I enjoyed teaching the women of Aiedail all about Earth traditions," Estelle reassured Ianto. "Now I better go cheek on Althea, who knows what trouble my mate has gotten up to!" _'I swear that woman is worse than Jack, John, Caden and the Doctor combined.'_

Jack and Ianto exchanged knowing grins; that it was never smart to leave Althea on her own for too long. It sometimes made Jack wonder how she became a member of the council but then he remembered the times when Althea had shown her warrior side and had fiercely defended Ianto and her people. "I'm sure that she hasn't gotten into too much trouble."

"Still it's not wise to leave her unattended for too long. Trouble seeks her out like a beacon." Estelle pressed a kiss to both Jack and Ianto's cheeks before taking her leave.

"Alone at last." Jack grinned down at Ianto who blushed darkly at the hungry heat filling his husband's eyes. "Do you have any idea what you do to me when you blush like that?" Jack voice was rich with pure lust and need.

Ianto shifted so that he straddled Jack's lap the best he could with his round belly. "I have a pretty good idea," Ianto whispered huskily as he peered at Jack from beneath his eyelashes.

A deep growl rumbled from Jack's chest as he possessively wrapped his hand around the back of Ianto's neck and claimed his husband's mouth in a dominating kiss. Within seconds, the rest of the world had faded from around them.

*****  
Deep in the ancient ruins of the once mighty city, Suruka, Pareechehr trembled slightly as she stared into the glowing eyes of Aeron. "Tomorrow they are holding the royal baby shower; his staff and friends will be preoccupied with what's going on around them, and the king will be at his most vulnerable."

Aeron stared the shifter before him. "You did well, Pareechehr, you may go now." He watched uncaringly as the trembling woman quickly returned to her silver two-tailed fox form and then bolted out of the crumbling place.

_'At long last I will be free of my oath to you, Thanatos.'_ Aeron closed his eyes as a sense of peace washed over him; by tomorrow he would be free of his former master's ghost. He knew just how to gain his freedom and that was at the hands of Captain Jack Harkness, the King's royal consort. From what he'd seen and heard of the immortal he knew that the man would do whatever it took to keep his mate safe and that had only increased since the young king had become pregnant. _'It goes against every inch of my warrior code to threaten an innocent, and I can only hope you will forgive me in time, my King, but defeat or death is the only way I may be free of the bond that binds me to your late uncle.'_

******  
Deep within his meditation, Noam's eyes snapped open and he abruptly shot to his feet knocking Lyra backwards on to her behind. "Oww...! Noam, what's the deal?" Lyra asked rubbing her soon-to-be bruised behind.

Noam wished he could tell Lyra about the vision he'd seen but he knew his mate and he knew that she would do everything in her power to stop those events from happening. Unfortunately, in order to protect the future he saw they needed to happen, but there was a little something he could give her to satisfy her curiosity. "I saw our future prince's mates."

As he'd expected, Lyra's ears perked right up. "Mates? As in more than one?"

A chuckle escaped the seer's lips. "Yes, it would seem our future prince will have two possible mates. One is the son of Owen and Rhys and the other is the first in a new line of Time Lords," Noam told her as his eyes sparkled with mirth.

Lyra's amber eyes widened as laughter burst from her lips. "Oh Jack is going to become super overprotective when he learns this. I can't wait for the little ones to arrive! They're going to bring us all much joy around here." She clapped her hands together and jumped up and down in glee.

Noam shook his head as he watched his mate's actions; he was just grateful that she didn't ask about their future princess. _'How do I begin to explain that our future princess is the mate of the most feared knight ever to exist on our world?'_ Noam was not looking forward to revealing that bit of news; there was absolutely no way he could make that sound good.

_'Oh, I'm so happy for my future prince, not one but two mates? Oh yes, he is going to be something special but what about our princess? Noam is being awfully tight-lipped about her future; I wonder what he's hiding?'_ Lyra stopped her celebrating and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Noam. "What about our princess? Why haven't you spoken about _her_ future mate? What aren't you telling me?"

Noam knew from the look in Lyra's amber eyes that she wasn't going to let this go, he needed to give her something. "Our princess will have a brave and loyal knight as her mate who will lay down his life for her."

But for once Lyra wasn't satisfied; she raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her mate. "That's an unusually vague answer, what _aren't_ you telling me?"

A serious look entered Noam's purple eyes. "I can't tell you, Lyra, not until the time is right, but our princess will have a powerful and protective knight as her mate, one that will love her and gladly lay down his life if needed to. Please don't ask me for anything more, because I cannot tell you."

Lyra knew there were times when Noam couldn't speak of what he had seen; he explained to her that the tiniest change could alter the future and this seemed to be one future he wanted or perhaps needed to protect. Crossing the distant between them Lyra reached out and cupped her mate's chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I understand, Noam, and I won't press you for any more answers." Lyra sealed her promise with a gentle kiss.

Smiling gratefully, Noam rested his forehead against Lyra's. "Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Enough with the pouting, Jack, you were the one who demanded to come." Ianto sighed as he stared at his stubborn mate; he was trying so hard not to be distracted by the naked flesh being slowly and provocatively bared to his gaze. He watched as Jack finished undressing and crossed the room, wiggling his naked arse enticingly.

A seductive pout graced Jack's face as he stared at Ianto from their bed were he laid down and stretched out, posing erotically for Ianto's benefit. "But just think, Yan, we could have our own private party here." Jack purred seductively as he stroked his chest and groin with his hands; he made no attempt to hide his smile as he watched Ianto's eyes following his every move.

Ianto was tempted, _oh,_ so tempted to give into his mate's seductive attempts, he was only so strong and Jack was truly beautiful. Resolutely, the young king crossed his arms over his chest and hiked an eyebrow, "Do you really want to risk earning the wrath of Thyra, Estelle, Kathy and more importantly Toshiko? I don't know about you, but I really like your manly bits where they are, but if you'd rather they were in a box on Tosh's mantel, then..."

Jack shivered, knowing that his husband was right; if he and Ianto did miss this baby shower he would be sleeping with one eye open for a very long, long time. "Fine, we'll go but we won't be staying long, I'm in no mood to share you for very long," Jack growled as he climbed to his feet and stalked towards Ianto, his lustful gaze raking over every inch of Ianto's body, and then grinning wickedly at the shudder that racked Ianto's body. Oh yes, Jack would go to the baby shower but he would make sure that Ianto was so hot for him that he would be willing to cut the party short and run back to their room.

Ianto didn't need to access his and Jack's telepathic bond to know what his husband was thinking and plotting. _'Well, Captain Harkness-Jones two can play this game.'_ Ianto narrowed his eyes as a predatory smile touched his lips; it was time to turn on his own charm. Once Jack was close enough to touch Ianto rested his hands on Jack's bare chest, and then he slowly and tenderly stroked his husband's hardened nipples as he looked up at him coyly from beneath his eyelashes. "If you'll be on your best behaviour I'll be sure to _reward_ you once we get back to our room. I think we'll be able to find use for the leftover cake and ice cream," Ianto purred.

Jack's breath hitched at the feeling of Ianto's fingers dancing across his skin. "Little teaser," Jack growled his voice rich with pure lust. "Fine, we'll do it your way but it better be one hell of a reward." Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto's waist and pulled him flush against his body.

Their lips were close enough to meet for a kiss so Jack willingly obliged, moving in to claim the mouth that belonged to him but then a snarl escaped his lips as he met nothing but thin air. Ianto grinned mischievously as he danced out of his mate's hold. "None of that until _after_ the baby shower, I know you too well, Jack Harkness-Jones; one kiss in the mood you're in will have us back in bed before I can even blink. So you're not touching me until after the baby shower."

"Ianto, you can't be serious?! You expect me to keep my hands and lips off you for the whole party? I don't think so!" Jack growled as he stalked closer to Ianto only to growl once again as Ianto moved away. " _Ianto_ , I'm not playing! Get your gorgeous arse over here right now!" Jack wasn't sure if his Welshman realised just how much he needed to touch him in some way or another.

Ianto smiled tenderly at Jack, easily reading the need in Jack's eyes. "If you get dress then I'll give you a kiss. Please, Jack, it's only one afternoon and it's for our children." Ianto really wanted this party to go well and if Jack wasn't happy then Ianto knew he wouldn't have a good time.

The moment he saw the sadness enter Ianto's blue eyes was the moment Jack felt like heel; _'this party means so much to Ianto and I'm ruining it.'_ "I'm sorry, Ianto; it's just the primal side of me coming to the surface. I don't like sharing you; you're the one good thing I've ever had in my life and now with our children I once again have a family of my very own and I'm afraid of losing it again."

Ianto didn't even hesitate as he moved back to Jack and wrapped his arms around his husband in a tight hug. "You never have to worry about losing me, Cariad, _never_ ," Ianto vowed passionately as he pressed his lips against Jack's in a love-filled kiss. "I will always belong to you, I promise," he whispered before kissing Jack again.

Jack closed his eyes and returned the kiss knowing Ianto spoke the truth, knowing that he would never leave him. They broke the kiss slowly and Jack placed a series of butterfly kisses all over Ianto's face. "For you I will brave the baby shower, but only for a little while. And you know what else?"

"No, what?" Ianto cocked his head to the side, curious about what Jack had in mind.

"I'll even put my clothes back on," Jack announced proudly, "just for you."

After a quick fit of the giggles, Ianto gave Jack a breathtaking smile. "That's all I ask."

******

"How do I let you talk me into these things?" Caden mumbled under his breath as he followed Tosh's orders of where to place the pile of beautifully wrapped presents that was weighing down his arms.

Looking over her shoulder Tosh smiled sweetly at her mate. "Because you love me."

"Good point." Caden knew he could never say no to his mate; no matter what she asked of him, Toshiko Sato had him firmly wrapped around her little finger and she knew it.

A smug smile graced Tosh's face as she pointed towards a table. "Place the presents there."

"About time! I thought my arms were going to fall off. Where did these presents all come from anyway?" Caden asked as he gentle placed the gifts down, knowing he would face Tosh's wrath if he dropped a single one.

"These are from the people of Aiedail to share in the celebration of their future prince and princess," Tosh explained as she placed a small package on the table. Her hear was truly touched that Ianto's people were so excited about their King's return and about his impending family that they had embraced some of the Earth customs that Ianto was accustomed to, like sending gifts for their future prince and princess.

Glad to be free of his burden Caden turned to face Tosh with a pout on his handsome face. "Why didn't Owen and John have to go through this torture? I thought you loved me?" the dark-haired knight said with a sulk.

"Because Owen and John _volunteered_ to help Thyra; they're in the kitchen right now, helping to bring the food out," Tosh calmly informed him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. She refused to allow herself to be swayed by Caden's pouty lower lip, even though it was just begging to be kissed.

It took all Caden's willpower not to burst out in laughter; he knew just who had volunteered Owen and John for that duty. "What did they do to piss off Rhys and Kathy enough to get assigned to work for the tyrant?"

Tosh's eyebrow hiked as amusement showed on her face. "It would seem that Rhys has started getting mood swings and he wasn't too happy that Owen and John ate his supply of chocolate. Kathy was more than happy to suggest that if they wanted to keep living that they get their butts down here and help and then she made sure that Thyra put them to work for her."

Caden shook his head in amusement. "How could they have been so stupid? Nobody touches Rhys' chocolate! I thought they'd learned their lesson the first time after Jack nearly ripped their heads off for eating Ianto's ice cream and making Ianto cry." The dark-haired knight shivered ashen-faced as he remembered the pure untamed fury on Jack's face as the first tears welled-up in Ianto's eyes. It had taken him along with nearly all of the guards on duty to pull Jack off of John and Owen.

"You would think they'd would have learned their lesson. I'm so glad that at least _my_ mate has some sense." Tosh pecked Caden on the cheek. "I know you won't be eating any of my treats soon; I have a feeling our baby will have just as much of a sweet tooth as the others." Tosh wondered how long it would take for what she just said to sink in.

Caden just stared at Tosh for a moment unsure if he'd heard her correctly. "Did you just say our _baby_?" His hands reached out to rest gently on Tosh's stomach.

Smiling with tears of joy shining in her eyes Tosh covered Caden's hand with her own. "Yes, I did. You're going to be a father. But this is Ianto, Jack and their babies day; we'll share our good news tomorrow."

A whoop of joy escaped Caden as he picked Tosh up and twirled her around before kissing her deeply. It was going to be tough keeping it quiet when all he wanted to do was shout it from the top of the castle but he didn't want his good news to overshadow the baby shower for the future prince and princess. _'But tomorrow is a new day.'_

******  
Hidden beneath his cloak, Aeron rolled his eyes in disgust at the castle's weak security; it would be far too easy for an enemy to gain access to the king and his unborn children. While it worked as far as his plans were concerned, he only hoped that they figured out their weakness before another who truly intended to do harm learned of this as well. _'Now is not the time to worry about such things; I need to find my King so that I will finally be free of my master's ghost.'_

******

Zosimos' lips twitched into a smirk as he watched his mate and his sister order everyone about; everything had to be perfect and no one wanted to gain Thyra's wrath by making a mistake, even a little one. Still, he couldn't shake off uneasy and growing feeling that something was coming, something bad. _'But if Noam saw any danger to our king or the children he carries he would have informed me, I'm sure of it.'_ But still the warrior in his was screaming at him to keep his guard up.

"They're coming!" Lyra announced as she came bouncing into the room; she'd been posted in the hallway as look-out. "Ianto actually managed to get Jack to come!" Lyra had never doubted that her king and friend would be able to convince Jack to come to the party.

Thyra clapped her hands together. "Everyone to your places! It's time to give our King and his consort a baby shower no one will ever forget."

Not willing to piss off the fiery redhead they all rushed to set down their last remaining items before falling into place.

Jack still didn't understand how he'd let Ianto talk him into these kind of things. But as he glanced at the smile on his mate's face he knew he wouldn't deny Ianto anything that made him this happy. _'It's only for a few hours and Tosh promised me that they wouldn't go overboard, it'll be just a small gathering of those closest to Ianto and me.'_ That suited both men just fine; Ianto never liked to be the center of attention while Jack loved it but this was too important to be made into some big hoopla.

Hand in hand they walked into the banquet hall and Ianto's breath hitched as he took in the room. He and Jack had decided to forego the traditional pink and blue colours and instead had chosen purple for their daughter and green for their son and the women had followed their wishes. The room was decorated with purple, silver, green and gold. Half the tables were decorated with purple cloths trimmed with silver, while the other half had green tablecloths trimmed with gold. They all held a center piece made up with silvery-blue rose-like flowers that were once Ianto's mother Queen Ehrentraud's favourite flower. Jack was sure he heard Ianto sniffle and he wrapped a comforting arm around his husband and pressed a gentle kiss into his hair.

"This is wonderful. I can't thank you all enough." Ianto favoured everyone there with a bright smile.

_'Maybe this won't be so bad.'_ Jack could feel Ianto's excitement pulsing through their bond and it was making his smile grow bigger as he saw the pure joy displayed on Ianto's face.

******  
"Man, I'm bored," one of the guards muttered wondering how he'd managed to get stuck with duty out on the grounds when there was a party going on in the castle.

His partner snorted. "Remember it was Lady Thyra and her protégé Lady Toshiko who were in charge. I'd rather have this assignment than risk pissing one of them off. They're worse than the captain!"

Both men shivered as they recalled their own times earning the wrath of either woman and secretly they both thought their mates were some of the bravest men to ever live.

"Perhaps you should be paying more attention to what is happening around you instead of whining about your assigned duty." A smooth and deep voice came from the shadows startling them both.

A figure over six feet tall stepped out into the light, and while his face may have been hidden beneath the black cloak's hood but there was no mistaking the voice. Both the guards' hands fell to the hilts of their swords even though they knew it was a useless move. "Aeron!"

Beneath his hood Aeron's blue eyes glowed eerily. "It is your duty to protect your King and his heirs and that is something that should never be taken lightly. But now is not the time for lectures, I have business within the castle and with our King. Now either move and let me pass or I will be forced to go through you."

Even though they knew they were no match for the legendary knight that had served as a royal bodyguard for years, they also knew that they could not just step aside and let him near their pregnant king. "You will have to go through us first!" the first guard growled.

A pleased smirk curved Aeron's lips. "Very well. I will be sure to tell King Ianto of your bravery." He promised as he drew his sword and fell into a fighting stance. "Perhaps he will speak of it at your funerals."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"The Doctor's not here," Jack grumbled for the third time in twenty minutes. For a Time Lord, the man was horrible at being on time anywhere; _'always had been, always will be,'_ the immortal told himself sullenly. He had thought that with the Master along for his shopping trip, they would have been back on time. But no! Not the Doctor! Seeing the look of wary yet fond exasperation on Ianto's face, Jack smiled weakly. "I wanted to see him play these baby shower games," he explained to his mate when he saw Ianto's raised eyebrow. "You know, cos he gets so into stuff like that?"

An amused smile tugged at Ianto's lips as he listened to Jack's excuse; he had to admit that he too would have enjoyed seeing the two Time Lords playing some of the silly baby-related games that he was sure Althea was responsible for coming up with. Tosh had already announced that for the next game, the women would be creating diapers and baby bonnets out of toilet roll for their men to model.

"I think everyone is having a good time." Thyra murmured as she made her way over to her mate's side. The banquet hall looked beautiful, the food and drinks were delicious, and best of all, her friends were all truly relaxed and enjoying themselves. It was the perfect afternoon.

Zosimos grinned down at his mate, wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed kiss to the top of her head. "You did a wonderful job and I think you've made our King very happy." He and Thyra looked over to see Ianto and Jack standing arm-in-arm and talking softly; Ianto did indeed look quite content. Zosimos knew how important this party had been not only to her but also to the people of Aiedail. It was a long-awaited time of celebration for them all; not only had their King returned to them, but he and his mate were about to bring two new lives into the world. At long last they were healing from the pain and damage caused by the hateful Thanatos and his followers.

The chirp of his comm broke the contented silence that had developed between the couple. With a sigh, Zosimos smiled apologetically to Thyra before reaching a hand up and answering the call. "General Zosimos here, report!" he snapped sharply, not at all pleased to be disturbed.

The voice of his Second-in-Command came over the line and it was obvious that he was under stress. "Sir, we have just discovered two of our north-side perimeter guards... they have been gravely injured, Sir. There are clear signs of a pitched battle and before one lost consciousness..." For the first time in nearly fifteen years his Second had served Zosimos, he heard the man's voice catch. "... he told us it was Aeron!"

Zosimos paled and his gut clenched; this wasn't good. "I'll be right there; if Aeron is responsible for this attack, we cannot risk the safety of our King. I want all guards put on immediate alert and I want all the guard posts to check in with you; see if there are any other breaches or problems. I am on my way."

 Next to him Thyra failed to hide her gasp of dismay and he squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her as he ended the call. "I need you to quickly but quietly alert Kathy and Caden; tell them we may have a perimeter breach, that two of our guards have been injured, but not to alarm any of our guests. I have to get out there. If this is indeed Aeron I need to track him down before he can get any further into the castle." Zosimos kissed the top of his mate's head.

"Please be careful, my love," she whispered.

 "I will," he promised. "Keep a close eye on our King."

Thyra nodded her head, her heart aching for her mate and the injured knights. Struck by a sudden thought, she reached out and caught her husband's arm, stopping him from leaving. "But if Aeron left them alive then there may be hope that _our_ Aeron has returned to us. Surely he must know that we do not blame him for his actions; _Thanatos_ stole his free will from him and turned him against us. The Aeron we all know would never have deliberately hurt anyone if Thanatos had not forced him into becoming a mindless killing machine." Oh how Thyra wished she could have had the chance to tell that _monster,_ Thanatos, what she had truly thought of him.

Zosimos shook his head fondly; he wasn't at all surprised to hear that his mate was hoping that Aeron had been freed of Thanatos' insidious mind control. "I do not know what is going on, my love; there very well could be a chance that he has returned to us but if he has not, I _cannot_ leave our King unprotected."

Thyra snorted with fond amusement. "I don't think you have anything to worry about in that department. I guarantee you that Jack will rip anyone to pieces who dares try to harm Ianto. No offense to you and your guards, I believe he is out King's best line of defence.

Zosimos knew his mate had a point; Jack _was_ ferociously protective over Ianto and he knew that Jack would defend his mate to the death. "I have no doubts about that but still it is better to be safe than sorry. We all know how powerful Thanatos was and who knows what state of mind his mental control has left Aeron in." _'I have no idea what role Ianto will play in his plans. I can only hope he's not here to do something drastic and '_

Thyra watched as her mate slipped out of the room. Unfortunately, his departure didn't go as unnoticed as he had hoped; she saw that Kathy, Caden, John and Jack's eyes were following him. It was obvious from the way their bodies at immediately adopted an alert stance that they knew something was amiss and she was grateful that such observant behaviour was instinctive in all good warriors.

She was also beyond pleased that the guest-of-honour hadn't noticed anything. Ianto's attention was taken up by Tosh and the number of gifts before him, and she thought it was adorable the way his eyes widened with surprise and pleasure at the sheer size of the gift pile. _'He still doesn't see how much our people truly love him.'_ Having known her King for many years, Thyra still found Ianto's humble nature beyond adorable; never once had she seen his lineage or station go to his head.

As she watched Ianto laughing and chatting with those around him, Thyra realised one thing. _'If anyone can get through to Aeron and bring him back to us, it will be you, Ianto.'_ She just knew that she had to alert Kathy and Caden as to what was going on without raising suspicions in the others, although it was going to be tricky. She turned to gauge the distance between Ianto and his knights; could she casually wander over and act like they were chatting, or would Ianto overhear?

She knew she only had moments to make a decision, especially given the way Jack was staring at her with his jaw clenched. He clearly knew something was going on and he wanted answers; the immortal would not be satisfied until he knew Ianto and their children were safe.

Trying hard to smooth the worry from his features, Jack strolled purposefully over to his mate's side and casually dropped an arm around him. "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, Yan," he waved an arm at the beautifully wrapped boxes and packages in front of them.

"I never expec..." Ianto's voice faltered as he looked up at his husband; Jack hadn't been as successful as he'd thought in hiding his concern. "Jack, is something wrong?" he asked softly, he could sense Jack's worry through their bond.

As much as he wanted to, Jack knew he couldn't lie to Ianto, his mate deserved the truth. Tightening his grip on Ianto's shoulders Jack brushed a kiss onto his forehead, "I'm not sure, Zosimos took off pretty fast, something big is going on." He knew that only a serious threat to Ianto could have pulled Zosimos away from a party that Thyra set up. Options flying through his mind, Jack considered and then dismissed them all, until finally, decision made, Jack pressed another quick kiss to Ianto's temple and with the soft murmur of, "Open your gifts, I'll be right back," he walked away.

Biting his lower lip Ianto watched his mate stalk purposefully towards Thyra, and his brow furrowed when he saw that Jack was quickly followed by Kathy, Caden and John. Seated next to him Ianto felt Tosh's small hand slip into his and the two best friends shared a tense smile; it was clear that Tosh was seething inside. She'd overheard Jack's words to Ianto, and the Samurai warrior blood of her ancestors burned fiery hot in her veins, ready to rip apart anyone who would ruin this special day for Ianto.

Thyra sighed as she was surrounded by two worried knights, a tense former Time Agent and a on-guard mate who was rapidly losing control. "Where did Zosimos run off to and no lies!" Jack snarled, his blue eyes were flashing with the need to protect Ianto from all harm.

Taking a deep breath, Thyra placed her hands on her hips and glared at the foursome before her. "Don't you take that tone with me, Captain Jack Harkness-Jones! Before I tell you what's going on I want promises from all four of you that you will keep your cool and let Zosimos and his guards handle this."

It went against their code but reluctantly Caden and Kathy nodded their heads, and a moment later, a grumbling John followed. The only hold out to the agreement was Jack who crossed his arms over his chest and glared belligerently at Thyra. "When it comes to the safety of my mate and our unborn children I promise nothing."

Thyra wasn't at all surprise that Jack refused to agree and she knew it was too much to hope  for that what she was about to tell them wouldn't send Jack flying off into a deep rage. Taking a deep breath, she announced, "We've gotten a report that Aeron may be here in the castle."

As predicted Jack did not react well to that piece of news. "What?!" Jack didn't quite roar but it was close enough; they were fortunate in the fact that he didn't want Ianto overhear what was going on. John grabbed his arm and dragged him a little farther away from the guests, who had assembled around Ianto to view the gift opening. With a grateful nod, Kathy, Caden and Thyra followed them.

Jack remembered all too well the knight who at one time had been Ianto's personal royal bodyguard, the one man whom Ianto had trusted above all else since he was but a young prince. Somehow Aeron's thoughts became tainted and his loyalty twisted by Ianto's power-hungry uncle, who sought to rule through intimidation, subjugation and fear. His only desire was to wipe out all those he thought weak and who corrupted the strong race of Aiedail by being born without special gifts such as telepathy, empathic, and control the elements. Even before he'd aspired to the throne, Thanatos had made it his life's mission to see them all destroyed.

Kathy and Caden both visibly tensed; Aeron was powerful and very, very skilled with a sword. Regardless of their dedication to their King, they were afraid that they stood little-to-no chance against him. "Do you think Ianto's in any danger?" Caden asked quietly as he glanced back at his pregnant king who was seated next to his own pregnant mate. He smiled as he saw Tosh admire a just-unwrapped pale green baby-grow, holding it up and making it dance. The garment looked so small in Tosh's hands and then Caden's vision grew misty as he pictured their first child being held so safely in those same hands and he had to blink rapidly to keep from bursting into sappy, happy tears.

Thyra shook her head. "I can't tell you for sure what he has planned but you know that Zosimos will make sure that Ianto is well-protected."

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest. "Should we cancel the rest of the baby shower just for safety? It was definitely not something that she wanted to do; she knew how much hard work had gone into planning Ianto's party and from the looks of joy on everyone's faces it was a huge hit.

During the conversation Jack's gaze turned to Ianto; he needed to see with his own eyes that his mate was still safe and sound. The beaming smile on Ianto's face as he opened their gifts under the watchful gaze of everyone in attendance brought intense warmth to his soul. With a sinking heart, Jack realised that he couldn't deny Ianto this piece of happiness.

"No, for now it's safer to keep everyone in one place, especially Ianto; he's better off surrounded by friends and family. But we need to keep a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary and make sure to post extra guards at all the doors, just in case." He looked from one person to the next. "No one says a word about this to anyone; Ianto has been waiting a long time for this baby shower and I won't let _anything_ ruin it for him," Jack declared emphatically.

It didn't surprise John one little bit that Jack was willing to do whatever it took to guarantee and Ianto's happiness. He knew that his ex-partner was a passionate man, and when he loved someone, it was with all his heart. At this moment in time, Ianto's safety and happiness were all that matter to Jack.

John took a long look at Ianto, laughing and joking with his guests. "You know you won't be able to keep this from Eye-Candy for very long," John reminded Jack; despite the psychic training on maintaining mental shielding that the Time Agency had made them go through, the purity of Jack and Ianto's bond allowed nothing to be hidden from each other. John had to repress a smirk as he remembered how that had gotten Jack into trouble a few times.

A pout graced Jack's lips as he accepted the truth behind John's point. While there was no doubt that he and Ianto had a lot of fun with their bond; the naughty thoughts and suggestions that Jack could send to his mate had kept him plenty entertained when he was suppose to be writing reports. Jack especially enjoyed sending Ianto lurid images while he was listening to one of UNIT's officers go on and on about something he didn't care about at all. The rewards – and punishment – that Jack had enjoyed afterwards had always made the distraction an interesting form of foreplay.

Unfortunately, the downside of their link was that it was next to impossible to keep anything hidden from Ianto. It wasn't that he had much to keep from his mate but when he wanted to surprise Ianto then it took a lot of careful planning to keep his thoughts hidden from Ianto beneath long-winded anecdotes and pointless dribble.

"I won't keep this from Ianto for long, just until after the baby shower." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Look at him, he's so happy and I won't let anyone take that from him. Not any of you and certainly not Aeron." Having said his piece Jack whirled around and returned to Ianto's side.

Watching him go, John shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "I really thought he had gotten over those drama-queen moments of his."

Before he could stop it, a bark of laughter escaped Caden's lips as a knowing smirk twitched on both Kathy and Thyra's lips. "Jack _not_ being a drama queen would be much more shocking!" Kathy said snarkily.

Shaking his head, Caden pushed back the long black locks that fell into his eyes. "No, Jack has the right idea; we should wait until after the party to spring this news. Ianto and Jack both deserve this baby shower to go off without a hitch. After all the challenges Jack and Ianto have faced and overcome they have more than earned the right to have a moment of peace."

As Jack settled back next to him Ianto looked up at his husband with curiosity and worry in his eyes. "Jack, what's going on?" Ianto whispered softly to his mate. "Is everything all right?"

Wrapping his arms tightly around Ianto's waist Jack closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Ianto's, loving the feeling of his mate's body next to his. He splayed one large hand across Ianto's belly, and as he took a long deep sniff and drank in the scent that was purely Ianto, he felt his children moving and kicking beneath his palm. Quickly blinking back a sudden tear, he whispered, "I'll tell you afterwards; right now let's just enjoy this."

Ianto knew better than to push Jack for answers so he nuzzled closer to his mate. He knew Jack would tell him what was going on when he was good and ready, so for now he would enjoy this moment of celebrating the upcoming birth of their children.

Biting his lip with consternation, Noam slowly edged towards the door. He knew what he had to do, he just hoped in time that his king and friend would come to realise and accept _why_ he had to do this. _'Of course it's Jack's reaction I should fear the most. Jack will more than likely see this as a betrayal and it will take a lot of work to regain his trust, if that's even possible. But this is the only way I can see to spare any unneeded bloodshed.'_

With his goal firmly in mind Noam slipped out of the room unseen by all but his worried mate. _'I hope you know what you are doing, Noam,'_ Lyra thought as she watched her mate slip away from the party, and she sent a prayer out into the Universe to protect her husband from harm.

******

It may have been five years since he'd last stepped foot into the castle but Aeron still knew it like the back of his hand and he easily used the secret passages to his advantage. His body posture remained steady and no matter what or who he encountered, he was ready for battle. Nothing would stop him until he'd found his King, then and _only_ then would he allow himself to relax. Aeron cocked an eyebrow and without turning his head or shifting his gaze, drawled, "Your skills on sneaking up on someone still leave a lot to be desired, Noam."

Stepping out of the shadows from Aeron's right the seer took a deep breath; the infamous albeit legendary knight was still so imposing with an unmistakable aura of pure power pouring off of him. "I know what you're planning and it won't work."

Aeron merely stared at Noam with mild amusement in his eyes; he wasn't at all surprised that the seer had foreseen what he planned on doing. "I suppose Zosimos is already waiting for me, backed up by all the royal guards." He saw Noam nod his head. "It doesn't matter; nothing will get in my way and if it's Zosimos that strikes me down then so be it. I have accepted my fate."

"Your fate is not to die!" Noam snapped out the words and anger poured off him in waves; he couldn't believe how anyone could sound so callous about dying. "You think by holding Ianto hostage you will force Jack to react and take your life in combat when we both know that you would _never_ harm a hair on Ianto's hand. He is your King and you have protected him since his birth. I saw you aiding Ianto and his mother in their escape. You had them and you let them go and don't you dare deny it!

About to do exactly that, Aeron snapped his mouth shut in annoyance and settled for glaring at Noam.

Refusing to be intimidated, the seer continued. "We know that your the actions of the past were not of your own choosing but were in fact those that Thanatos forced you in to doing. Instead of believing that death is the only way to clean your hands of the blood you were _forced_ to shed, please, talk to Ianto. You might be surprised by what our King decides."

Aeron was taken aback by Noam's non-antagonistic tone; he had honestly been expecting scathing condemnation, "You still think with your heart, old friend, but there is no redemption for me."

Noam rolled his eyes, unable to believe how stubborn Aeron was being. "Don't make me go get Thyra who, by the way, still believes in you as well." Noam was pleased when Aeron blanched at his threat; Thyra was not one to be messed with no matter brave – or foolhardy – the knight. With a flash of clarity, Noam decided that was only one thing to get through to the knight, so taking a deep breath, he announced, "I've seen your future, Aeron, and it does not involve your death in anyway."

Aeron sighed. Even he knew that it was rare for Noam's visions to be wrong and with the growing realisation that he was fighting a losing battle, he asked, "Can you guarantee that I will not harm our King or the future heirs he carries within him?"

Noam smiled gently at Aeron and took the chance of resting his hand on the knight's shoulder; he could feel the tension vibrating through the warrior's body. "I don't need my vision to tell me that you would never harm Ianto. You are a good man, Aeron and so many of us can see that; why can't you?" he asked gently and despite his earlier thoughts of self-loathing, Aeron found that he was unable to answer him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Ianto sighed and shifted position on the sofa for the third time in ten minutes; for some reason he was finding it very difficult to find a comfortable position to sit in for very long. As he folded the baby clothes that the people of Aiedail had gifted him and Jack with, boredom began slowly creeping in to his mind. It mingled unpleasantly with the worry he was feeling.

Determined that Ianto should enjoy every moment of his baby shower, Jack had done everything in his power to make sure that the mood remained light, fun and memorable. However, once they were alone he kept his word and informed Ianto about the injured guards and that Aeron was suspected of responsible for them and of being in the castle. Hearing about his old friend had really upset Ianto and the news brought forth a flood of hormonal tears. It took some time to calm his mate back down, but once Ianto was back on an even keel, Jack had then ordered him to stay put in their chambers while he went to check in with Zosimos and offer his services.

After a long, lingering kiss, Jack proceeded to lock Ianto in the room with heavily armed guards posted just outside the doors. They'd been given strict orders that absolutely no one be allowed to enter the room and that Ianto was not allowed to leave it. Jack didn't need to add 'on pain of death' to his instructions; the four men would have gladly given their lives to protect their King and his unborn children.

_'Jack is very lucky I love him so much and understand why he's gone into overprotective mode, otherwise he'd be sleeping on the couch for the next month!'_ Ianto vowed as he finally gave up on folding the tiny baby clothes; instead he crossed his arms and glared at nothing. "Jack has a lot of making up to do when he gets back here!" the expectant father announced with a grumpy pout to the empty room.

A soft, unexpected noise broke Ianto from his growing thoughts of how all the ways Jack would be making things up to him. With a flash of fear Ianto clambered to his feet as quickly as he could, and stood looking around for the sound's source. He blinked in surprise as Noam came out of a secret passage hidden next to the fireplace, but it was the sight of the man who followed after the seer that had him reaching out and grasping the table for support. " _Noam_ , what are you thinking?" he hissed. He knew that the guards outside would be in his room in a flash if they thought anything were amiss. "All entire castle is up in arms looking for Aeron! Jack will go insane if he finds him here!" Even as he spoke, Ianto's mind began thinking of the best route to get Aeron safely out of the castle.

_'Ianto! Aeron is there with you? Hang on, I'm on my way!'_

Ianto winced as Jack's worried and furious voice came across their bond. He mentally cursed himself for letting his shields slipped even for a moment and because of that lapse, Jack managed to catch the stray thought. Now his mate was in full-blown over-the-top protection mode which meant he wasn't thinking straight which meant that anything could happen.

Knowing he had to make full use of the short window of time that he had, Ianto studied his former bodyguard and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen the knight looking and acting so defeated. "Why are you here, Aeron?" he asked gently.

Slowly Aeron fell to one knee and bowed his head. "I have come to seek punishment for my actions taken in the past. I await your judgement, my King."

Ianto studied the kneeling man before him. To an outsider, he appeared calm and in control, but Ianto knew better; he could see the tiny tremor running through the knight's body. "Aeron, your actions were not your own, I know that, Noam knows that, we have all always know that. My uncle bonded your soul to his and took your freewill from you. I cannot and will not kill you but I will free you from your duty to my family, if that is what you wish."

Startled by what he was hearing, Aeron looked up and studied the young king. He could see so much of Ianto's parents within him, Queen Ehrentraud's gentle soul and King Balaraja's loving heart and strong sense of duty. Ianto was absolutely nothing like his uncle and he firmly believed that he was the true king that their people wanted and needed. "It would be my honour to serve you, my King." 

Thundering footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway and Ianto couldn't help but smile and roll his eyes as he listened to Jack barking orders at the guards. As the doors flew open, Jack came charging in like a unstoppable bull with the others right behind him.

"Step away from my _mate_!" Jack snarled viciously and his blue eyes were like ice chips as he glared daggers at the man who had already taken his mate hostage once in the past. Jack was damned if that was going to happen again.

Pulling himself to his full height, Aeron stared into Jack's eyes; he refused to be intimidated by the pure hate which he saw burning there. "So you've come to kill me." The disgraced knight had prepared himself for this; after all, it had been the orders of King Thanatos to hunt Ianto down and place him in mortal danger. Aeron waited patiently for Jack to respond.

Every person in that room as well as those anxiously waiting out in the hallway knew  that  Jack was well within his rights as the King's consort, bond mate and husband to take the life of any man who threatened his mate. Aeron was depending on Jack to do exactly that.

"If I have to I will." Even more than dying himself, Jack hated taking the life of another, but when it came to the safety of Ianto and their children there wasn't anything he wasn't willing to do to make sure they were safe. If he had to he would die a thousand times in order to keep them from coming to harm.

As waves of testosterone swept through the room, Noam rolled his eyes and boldly stepped between Jack and Aeron. "That's enough, Jack; I understand why you're acting like this but please calm down and just listen for a moment."

But Jack's primal emotions were way past the point of rational behaviour and listening to the seer was out of the question. "Move out of my way, Noam!" Jack growled through clenched teeth. "Don't make me go through you, because you know I will!"

The young seer shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that Jack," and as Jack advanced a step closer to Aeron, the knight took a step closer to Jack. Noam ignored them both, saying "Aeron has a connection to your daughter; he is to be her mate."

That unexpected declaration stopped Jack and Aeron cold in their tracks and had Ianto going so weak in the knees that he nearly dropped to the floor, paralysed with shock. Only the lightning-fast reactions of Jack and Aeron kept him on his feet long enough to get him into the nearest chair.

"Get away from him!" Jack snarled, shoving Aeron away so forcefully that the knight actually fell backwards, sprawling awkwardly on the floor at Noam's feet. Jack knelt at Ianto's side, holding his hand and tenderly stroking the side of his face, along his arm, across his belly; he needed to be sure in his own mind that his mate was all right. "Yan? Honey, are you okay?"

Still speechless, all Ianto could do was blink with bewilderment. In all the dreams he'd ever had of his daughter's future, he certainly hadn't seen _that_ coming.

Jack wasn't so quiet however. Keeping Ianto's hand in his, Jack stood up and sought out the seer. "What? There is no way this man is my daughter's mate!" Jack snarled; he felt Ianto squeeze his hand but he paid the warning no heed. "We won't allow it, he's far too old for her!"

Noam shook his head, refusing to be cowed by Jack's anger and disbelief. "I have seen one of your daughter's possible futures and he will protect her with his life. Aeron is bound by his oath to the royal family and only he has the right to decide what his fate should be." The seer adopted a more placating tone; "After all, Aeron did not harm Ianto in any way even though he had several opportunities to do so, both now and in the past.

Seeing that he had Jack's attention, Noam continued. "In his own way, Aeron has been protecting Ianto all this time. You must understand that Aeron had no choice but to follow Thanatos' orders; he was soul-bonded to our corrupt ruler, his actions were not his own. Please remember that, Jack."

Struggling to his feet, Ianto stepping forward and moved past Aeron and Noam to stand in front of Jack. He slid his hands up Jack's chest to gently cup his mate's face. "Jack, if it wasn't for Aeron I would have been dead many times at the hands of my uncle. I say we give him a chance."

Struggling to maintain his level of emotional agitation, Jack finally felt his anger deflate and he leaned into Ianto's touch. "I hate it when you are right," he muttered under his breath as he reached out and snagged an arm around Ianto's waist and pulled him flush against his body. "If this is what you want, then I agree with your decision." Jack bent his head and brushed his lips against Ianto's in a soft and tender kiss before glancing over to Aeron with a murderous glare on his handsome face. "Just so we're clear, there will be no funny stuff with our daughter until she is in her twenties," Jack declared, laying down the law. "Maybe even her thirties."

Aeron looked absolutely scandalized; he didn't think he'd ever been so insulted in his entire life. "I would _never_ do anything until the young princess was of age!" He was grateful that his gifts included personal healing; it would allow him to age slowly which meant that he wouldn't look older than his future mate.

A far-too-familiar grinding noise filled the room and those who knew what was happening rolled their eyes, not all surprised that the Doctor was once again very late to the party. To those few who didn't know the Time Lords were quite startled to see a strange blue box suddenly appear out of nowhere.

The moment the TARDIS became solid the doors swung open and the Doctor came bouncing out, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "Sorry if we're a bit late but the line up on New Earth was killer." The Time Lord babbled out only to stop and scratched the back of his head as he looked at Aeron standing protectively in front of Ianto. "So what did we miss?"

"First of all, Doc, I thought you were going shopping here on Aiedail; how did you end up on New Earth?" Jack looked at his old friend with a truly puzzled look on his face.

With a sheepish look, the Doctor glanced around the room and then at the floor, shuffling his feet, and he actually managed to look embarrassed. "Ummm... well, it was... I mean, I..."

The Master popped out of the TARDIS with a shit-eating grin on his face and danced around like a fool. "He got lost!" the Time Lord cackled loudly with laughter. "I tried to tell him he was going the wrong way, but did this guy listen? Oh no, of course not! He kept insisting he knew a shortcut; he could get us there and back in plenty of time for the party! Who needs a shortcut to the other side of the city?"

"Oh, Doc, really?" Jack snorted with laughter. "Have you learned nothing over the years?"

"Oi!" The Doctor glared between Jack and the Master. "I'll have you know..."

Ianto put an arm around Jack's waist. "Can we deal with this later, please?" He looked at the Doctor? "Please?"

Jack and the Doctor both looked at Ianto with apology in their eyes. "Sorry, Yan," Jack kissed the side of Ianto's head.

"You're right, Ianto," The Time Lord looked suitably abashed, "and I'm sorry, too."

Owen crossed his arms, completely unimpressed with the Doctor and his apology. "Did anyone ever tell you that for a Time Lord you have lousy sense of timing?"

His apologetic demeanour completely forgotten, a bright grin graced the Doctor's face and he nodded his head as the Master groaned at his husband's cheerful answer of, "A few times!" 

That statement, actually made with a bit of pride, just caused everyone around him to shake their heads and groan in disbelief.

As he took in the sight of Aeron standing protectively in front of Ianto, the Master sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "Next time _I'm_ driving the TARDIS, because you make us miss all the fun!" and he flounced over to throw himself down into an over-stuffed chair.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Three months later_

Time seemed to flow by quickly, but not for the mates of those pregnant; in their opinion each hour seemed to crawl by. After Tosh and Caden shared the news that they too were expecting their first child, a week later Althea confirmed that Kathy was expecting as well. John quickly became a changed man, having learned the hard way not to piss off his mate as Kathy took great joy in hitting him with bolts of lightning every time he pissed her off. Aeron stayed true to his word, guarding Ianto and his unborn twins almost as ferociously as Jack did.

As Ianto's due date grew closer Jack couldn't be moved from Ianto's side and truth be told, as much as Ianto loved his husband, the nonstop attention was beginning to get the best of even Ianto's legendary patience. In fact, the only time he let Ianto out of his sight was when his mate needed to use the washroom and even then Jack would pace anxiously back and forth in front of the door like a caged animal until Ianto emerged from the washroom.

It got so bad that at one point, when Ianto came out to find Jack standing less than an inch away from the door, Ianto had snarked, "What, did you think I was going to fall in?" before stomping across the room and heaving himself back into bed. It had taken a serious foot rub and a long back massage for Jack to wheedled his way back into Ianto's good graces.

It was a glorious late-summer afternoon on Aiedail; the doors and windows were open to let in the soft breeze, and Jack and Ianto were resting comfortably on their bed. Jack had actually dozed off while Ianto was reading the latest murder mystery and just about to find out who-dun-it when he felt a sharp twinge of pain rip through his lower belly.

The pain was so intense and so unexpected that it caused the father-to-be to cry out, and moment the sound of distress escaped Ianto's lips Jack was wide awake and looking around in alarm. "Ianto, what's wrong?" Panic was clearly written on Jack's face. "Are you all right?"

Reaching out Ianto squeezed Jack's hand in a death gripe. "It's time!"

"Huh?" Jack looked at his watch; it was barely two in the afternoon and as far as he knew, they didn't have any plans for the day. He stared blankly at Ianto, his eyes full of questions, and the Welshman rolled his eyes.

"The babies are coming!" Ianto looked pointed at his enormous belly. "Remember them?"

"OH!" Jack eyes went comically wide and if Ianto hadn't been in the throes of a second stabbing pain, he would have laughed; instead, he squeezed Jack's hand until the immortal winced with pain of his own. "Okay, I better get you to Althea!" Jack didn't waste a second in calling for help; he leapt to his feet, scooped Ianto up in his arms and rushed out of the room. As his booted feet thundered through the halls, he thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't bother getting undressed before lying down.

******  
As she went about the task of blessing the equipment and space of the medical suite, Althea hummed and ancient song of welcoming to herself. Despite the bang as the delivery room doors crashed open, she didn't even look up as Jack came bursting in with a cringing Ianto held securely in his arms; Owen came trailing in behind him.

"The babies are coming!" Jack barked out the words in a breathless voice.

"Place him on the bed, please, Jack," Althea calmly informed him, and the frantic man immediately did as she asked. Once his mate was settled and as comfortable as he could get, Jack claimed the seat next to the bed and linked Ianto's hand in his. Studying them with a tiny smile curving the corner of her mouth, Althea wasn't sure who was going to need the sedative more, Ianto or Jack. The immortal was not dealing too well with Ianto's labour pains.

"Can't you give him anything?" Jack pleaded with Althea and Owen; he could feel every ounce of Ianto's pain coursing through their bond. "He's in so much pain!"

"Don't worry, Jack, we'll give Ianto something before we start," Owen promised Jack. He knew that once they got Ianto's pain under control Jack would be much calmer which in turn would help to calm Ianto. As he prepared Ianto's medication, he found his mind wandering; _'is this how I'm gonna behave when Rhys goes into labour?'_

******  
Out in the hall, Tosh and Kathy paced side-by-side, back and forth up and down the corridor. Both women were wishing that they could be in the room as well, comforting their friend and protecting their King, but they knew that was such an intimate moment that it could only be shared between Jack and Ianto.

News of Ianto's labour spread like wildfire throughout the castle, and within minutes, the hall was filled with anxious family and friends, all buzzing with joy over the impending arrival of their new prince and princess. Thyra and Lyra both made unsuccessful attempts to breach the delivery room, and they had to be gently but firmly restrained by their mates from trying again.

The Doctor and the Master were the last to arrive; the latter lounged casually against the wall, while the Doctor was perched precariously on the edge of the bench and before long, the tension got to be too much for him. The Time Lord's foot began to twitch and then a few minutes later the other one started jerking about with a rhythm of its own. Finally, unable to bear the suspense any longer, he shot to his feet abruptly and blurted out, "How long does it take for two babies to be born?"

Everyone turned and just stared at him each one processing his rather emotional outburst in their own way before John took pity on the man and chuckled. "Mate, no one can answer that."

The Master grinned and the Doctor blushed furiously as he realised what he'd just said. Looping an arm around his husband's waist the Master pulled the other Time Lord's body flush against his as he whispered in the Doctor's ear, "Don't worry, I find your flubs adorable and later on I'll show you _exactly_ how much."

Time passed slowly, leaving the assembled group lost in their own thoughts until the doors opened at long last and everyone perked up as a grinning Althea came out, her face flush with success and happiness. "You may come in and see our new arrivals." Althea had barely finished speaking before she found herself nearly run down as they all went rushing in.

Seated side-by-side and each holding a tiny wrapped bundle in their arms, Jack and Ianto smiled winningly at their friends. "Everyone, I would like you to meet our son, Anian," Jack gestured to the green bundle in his arms.

Ianto smiled down at the baby wrapped in the purple blanket. "And this is our daughter, Blodwyn." Jack and Ianto's pride and joy were evident in the way they presented their newborns to the world.

As everyone cooed over the babies Althea moved to stand next to Noam. "So, have you informed Jack yet that Owen and Rhys' son shall be one of Anian's future mates?"

A rarely seen mischievous smile graced the seer's face. "No, I thought I would let that be a surprise for another time. I'm looking forward to seeing Jack take on the role of an overprotective father. Plus, the TARDIS is looking forward to seeing the look of shock on the Doctor and Master's faces when they realise that she has found a way to give the Doctor a chance to be a father."

Althea adored the mischievous TARDIS and she couldn't wait to see what she came up with next.

Speaking of Rhys and Owen, Rhys was standing looking at the new family with a soft smile when Torchwood's former medic came up behind him and wrapped his arms around the pregnant knight. As he scratched his fingers across the taught skin of his husband's belly, Owen leaned in close; "That's gonna be us pretty soon, mate," he whispered into Rhys' ear.

Rhys leaned back into Owen's strong arms and rested his head on his mate's shoulder. "They're so happy, aren't they?"

"You know, after I lost Katie, I honestly believed I'd never be happy again," Owen quietly murmured his confession. "And then you came along and threw me six ways from Sunday, and now look at us, we're gonna be dads in a little while."

"Yeah," was all he could get out at the moment; there was a lump in his throat the size of an orange and he was afraid that if he tried t say what was on his mind, he'd start to cry.

Standing close to Ianto and Jack and trying to remain unobtrusive, Aeron examined the tiny person lying in Ianto's arms. Even though she was only an hour old, Blodwyn Harkness-Jones was bright-eyed and alert; he would have sworn that she was studying her new Tad closely and smiling about what he was seeing.

Aeron marvelled at the fact that in two decades, Blodwyn would be a full-grown woman who would love him and share her life with him. "I'll wait for you, my heart, for however long it takes," he whispered and the tiny crack that had appeared in the walls around his heart when he'd heard of his her birth grew even wider as he watched his future mate and smile at her Tad. Even though all the books would say that she was much, much too young for such behaviour, Aeron knew that as an Aiedailian Blodwyn was like nothing the book's writers had ever seen.

Oblivious to the adoring crown that surrounded them and filled the maternity lounge area, Jack was holding his two new children snugly in his arms, marvelling that they'd finally arrived; he couldn't get over how utterly perfect they were. As he looked down at them and then over at the love of his life, and he felt his heart swell in his chest. He leaned closer to Ianto so that no one else could overhear what he had to say; "Thank you for giving me the most wonderful gift in the world, Yan," Jack whispered as he pressed a loving kiss onto Ianto's lips.

Ianto smiled up at Jack. "Thank you for loving me and for letting me share my life with you." No matter what life had in store for them, Ianto knew that he would be able to handle it all as long as he had Jack by his side.


End file.
